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COM (85) 285 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0124 
  
 
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Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), t his file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februa r 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 v om 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COM M UNITY
COM(85) 285 fin®!#
Brussels, 6 June 1 9^5#
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliamarntt
concerning Council Decision 81/971/EEC  
establishing a Community information system  
on "hydrocarbons"
COM( 85) 285 final.

Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament
concerning Council Decision 81/971/EEC  
establishing a Community information system  
on "hydrocarbons"
I.  Introduction
Article 5 of Council Decision 81/971/EEC establishing a Community  
information system for the control and reduction of pollution  
caused by hydrocarbons discharged at sea provides as follows:
"Every two years the Commission shall draw up and forward to the  
Council and the European Parliament a report on the operation  
of the information system and the use made of it by Member States".
This is the first such report.
II. Implementation of the system
Three major questions had to be tackled and many difficulties  
resolved in order to implement the system, namely:
(a) information gathering;
(b) alignment;
(c) processing.
OJ L 355 of 10 December 1981.

-  2 -
A. Information gathering
In accordance with the provisions of the decision in question,  
information has been gathered:
(i) by the Member States, for the inventory of resources for  
combating pollution referred to in Annex I to the decision;
(ii) from various sources, mainly on the Commission's initiative,  
as regards hydrocarbon properties and other aspects referred  
to in Annex II to the decision.
B. Alignment of information
It was inevitably difficult to align the information gathered  
by means of questionnaires and by collating data from various  
sources. It was therefore decided:
(i) to give the Member States technical assistance for the first  
updating of the inventory;
(ii) to appoint a consultant to coordinate and pull together the  
other information.
C. Processing the information
The inventory has been computerized on an experimental basis.
The experiment was suspended in 1985 pending possible decisions  
to extend the information system to include other harmful substances .
Communication from the Commission to the Council concerning a  
plan for dealing with pollution of the sea by oil and other  
harmful substances (C0M(85)123 final).

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As a considerable amount of work needs to be done as regards the presentation  
of information it was thought preferable to resume the experiment at a more  
appropriate time when all the background data is available.
HI. Presentation of the system
A preliminary version of the system was made available to the Member States  
in the form of a computer printout and three brochures between the end of  
1982 and the beginning of 1984.
The first operational version of the system
which will soon be forwarded to the competent authorities in the Member  
States is now in the form of a compendium of Loose-leaf sheets and short
notes.
IV. Development of the system
An information system is, in the nature of things, ongoing in character.
This is particularly true of this system.
A number of studies are under way; the results will be incorporated in the  
system towards the end of 1985 or the beginning of 1986 (test facilities,  
use of oily waste, etc.).
In addition, the Commission has prepared, and will continue to do so,  
at the request of the competent authorities in the Member States, additional  
documents to be incorporated into the system, e.g. concerning the customs  
clearance of equipment to deal with pollution, etc.

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It should, however, be emphasised that the main development is undoubtedly  
the extention of the system to include other harmful substances, as  
proposed by the Commission.
V. Use made of the system
Only two major incidents have occurred since the system was implemented.
The information system was used on both occasions and, especially in the  
case of the PATMOS, proved to be extremely effective.
In the case of the PATMOS, the system was used on a Sunday morning to try  
and find two experts able to advice the Commission in an administrative  
cooperation task.
Following the system utilization procedure to the letter, it was possible  
to get in touch with two experts of international renown in six minutes  
and seven minutes respectively and obtain the cooperation of one of them  
immediately and the possibility of later cooperation by the other. The  
six and seven minutes in question represent the time it took to ask for the  
Commission switchboard and make the calls in question. More efficient  
arrangements could in fact considerably reduce even these times.
Once the task force was on the spot, the experts were asked to find  
additional information about equipment which could be made available to the  
Member State concerned by another Member State: the offer in question resulted  
from a request made through the diplomatic channel. In view of the indirect  
nature of these procedures, the information finally received by the authorities  
in charge of the operation was not precise enough to be usable. By using the  
inventory and the catalogue of resources available under the system it was  
possible in a few minutes to clarify the situation and provide the authorities  
with a succinct and precise description of the equipment.

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In the other case, the catalogue was used by the authorities in question  
to make a choice of dispersants.
It should also be emphasized that the actual development of the system, in  
the context of ever-ctoser cooperation with Member States' experts, has  
created a forum for the mutually-beneficial pooling of knowledge within the  
advisory committee on the control and reduction of pollution caused  
by oil and other harmful substances discharged at sea .
VI.  Present shortcomings of the system
Article 1 (2) (b) of the beforementioned decision 81/971/EEC forsees that  
Member States supply information concerning contingency plans. Only two  
Member States have submitted the information requested on this subject,  
so the Commission has been obliged to submit a proposal for a directive  
making it compulsory to draw up such plans, and deleted the abovementioned  
provisions in its proposal to extend the scope of the information system.
Experience has shown that it is absolutely essential to set up a network o1  
operational authorities and institutions capable of giving specialist  
advice.
VII. Conclusions
It can be concluded from all this that the progressive extension of the  
system to include other harmful substances and the broad dissemination  
of all the components to the regional and local authorities, and the  
international organizations concerned (Barcelona Convention, ROCC,
Bonn Agreement, etc.) should represent practical subsequent objectives  
of the joint scheme.
3 Decision 85/208/EEC of 25 March 1985 (OJ L 89 of 29 March 1985)

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In addition, in order to remedy the shortcomings mentioned in Section VI,  
there needs to be an adequate degree of parellelism between the timetables  
for the adoption of the proposal to extend the system and the proposal  
concerning contingency plans.