WRITTEN QUESTION E-0410/03

by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 February 2003)

Subject: Russia's transportation of oil through the Baltic

Mr Prodi, President of the Commission, has promised to raise with Russia's political leadership the question of hazards to the environment arising from the transportation of oil through the Baltic, and preparations for them. This is very welcome, particularly since Prime Minister Kashanov has recently refused to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Lipponen.

There is particular concern about the following points:

- since in the EU it is being made compulsory to carry oil in double-hulled tankers, there is a danger that old single-hulled vessels will switch to carrying oil on behalf of Russia, which would mean that in practice the hazards to the environment in the Baltic would be increased rather than reduced;

- Russia's attitude towards the risks associated with the transportation of oil, particularly in icy conditions: the Russian authorities have issued an ice pass to the Stemnitsa, a tanker which in itself is modern (it was built in 2000 and has a double bottom and double hull) but is of a standard substantially inferior to that required, for example, by the Finnish and Swedish authorities and under the international ice vessel classification scheme, and its strengthened bow would not be sufficient for it to secure permission to dock in Finland or Sweden under current conditions;

- the volume of oil which Russia transports through the Baltic is growing rapidly;

- Russia (including Kaliningrad) appears to be utterly unequipped to deal properly with an oil spill of a magnitude consistent with the volumes being transported.

What will the Commission do to reduce the risks arising from Russia's transportation of oil in the Baltic? Is the Commission aware of all the problems, including the above? Apart from the most senior political level, at what other levels will the Commission make representations on the matter?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-0384/03, P-0408/03, E-0410/03 and E-0420/03given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(14 March 2003)

The Commission is aware of the problem of navigation in the Gulf of Finland and shares the concern of the Finnish authorities about the risks connected with the transport of hydrocarbons by sea under winter conditions.

The Commission has closely monitored the situation brought about by the voyage of the oil tanker Stemnitsa to the Primorski terminal. It has informed the Russian authorities of its concern about the exceptionally difficult ice conditions in the Gulf of Finland.

Following the ERIKA and Prestige disasters, the Commission has repeatedly highlighted the urgent need for harmonised measures to prevent new disasters in the Union's external waters, including the Baltic. Under the agreement between the Union and Russia, contacts have been established with the Russian authorities to ensure compliance with the measures which the EU intends to take to secure the transport of hydrocarbons by sea, and in particular to ban the transport of heavy fuel by single-hull tankers.

However, it should be noted that the Union does not have any legal authority to regulate the passage through international waters of vessels carrying potentially dangerous cargo, even near the coast of the Member States and even if such cargo is carried under the icy conditions prevailing in the Baltic in winter.

Accordingly, the Commission deems it necessary to amend the international law of the sea so as to ensure a better balance between freedom of movement and the interests of coastal States who should be able to protect their coast against ecological disasters.

The Commission has asked all of the Union's neighbouring countries as well as its main partners to take firmer action to improve the international legal rules governing pollution caused by ships. It has asked all Member States for their support to actively promote within the United Nations, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and other competent bodies the adaptation of the provisions of the law of the sea to the new maritime safety requirements in the 21st century.

Finally, the Commission should like to point out that newspaper reports do not necessarily represent the Commission's position nor, as in the present case, that of the Executive Director of the Maritime Safety Agency.

As for the specific question of navigation under icy conditions, it should be noted that there are currently no Community rules dealing with this and that such rules could not cover vessels on transit journeys not calling at the Union's ports. However, in the framework of measures already taken by the Union to prevent oil tanker accidents, the Directive on monitoring and controlling maritime traffic enables the competent authorities to prevent ships from leaving port in very poor weather conditions. The Directive also gives wider powers to the Member States to intervene when there is a risk of accident or pollution.

In any case, the Commission is ready to fully support the efforts of the Finnish authorities to work towards an agreement with the countries around the Gulf of Finland on safety rules for the maritime transport of hydrocarbons under icy conditions.