WRITTEN QUESTION P-0324/03

by Carlos Bautista Ojeda (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(5 February 2003)

Subject: Discharges into Algeciras Bay

At 5 o'clock on the morning of 21 January 2003, the lighter Spabunker IV sank in Algeciras Bay with 900 tonnes of fuel oil and just over 100 tonnes of diesel on board. The statement issued by the Algeciras harbour master's office on 22 January indicated that fuel had leaked from the vessel.

Is the Commission aware of this situation?

Since the Commission is responsible for upholding Community law, does it not consider it necessary, on order to avert further disasters of this kind, to accelerate the mandatory implementation of the rules on safety at sea adopted by the EU following the Erika disaster in all the zones that are at greatest risk owing to their high density of sea traffic?

Will the Commission take specific measures for Algeciras Bay just as it did for the Galician coast following the Prestige disaster?

Answer given by Ms de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2003)

The Commission was informed of the wreck of the lighter Spabunker IV in Algeciras Bay on 21 January 2003. As far as the Commission is aware some of the vessel's fuel escaped at the time of the accident but apparently no leak of heavy fuel oil has been detected.

The Honourable Member must know that the Commission is determined to improve maritime safety in the European Union and worldwide.

On 3 December 2002 the Commission adopted a communication on action to be taken in response to the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige(1), in which it reminded Member States of its wish to see the measures in the Erika I and Erika II packages to be applied speedily and proposed additional measures. The Council of transport ministers of 6 December 2002 declared in its conclusions that it supported the Commission's efforts to deal with the consequences of the accident and to avoid a repetition of similar catastrophes. The Copenhagen European Council of 12/13 December 2002 acknowledged the Commission's determination and welcomed the action it had undertaken to confront the consequences of the wreck.

The Commission has now taken all the steps necessary to speed up the establishment of the new European Maritime Safety Agency. Its Executive Director was appointed on 29 January 2003 and it is due to become operational in the coming weeks.

Similarly, the Commission has already started work on putting into place the Community vessel traffic monitoring system, SafeSeaNet. In addition, it has asked the Member States to speed up the preparation of the national plans to accommodate vessels in places of refuge, and a coordination meeting on this was held on 31 January 2003.

As regards new measures, a regulation prohibiting the transport of heavy fuel oil by single hull tankers bound for or leaving Union ports and speeding up the replacement of single hull ships by double hull ships was adopted by the Commission on 20 December 2002(2) and is now being examined by the co-legislators.

Furthermore, the Commission has started preparing a new set of legislative measures to provide for financial penalties to be imposed on any person (i.e. not only the shipowner, but also the owner of the cargo, the classification society or any other person concerned) liable for causing pollution through negligence. Steps will be proposed to counter deliberate discharges by ships, together with measures aimed at collecting evidence and prosecuting the perpetrators.

(1) COM(2002) 681 final.

(2) COM(2002) 780 final.