Council Resolution of 19 June 1990 on the prevention of accidents causing marine pollution
Date: 1990-06-19
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: accident prevention, environmental protection, marine pollution, maritime safety, protection of animal life, public health













EUR-Lex - 31990Y0818(01) - EN






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31990Y0818(01)

Council Resolution of 19 June 1990 on the prevention of accidents causing marine pollution  


Official Journal C 206 , 18/08/1990 P. 0001 - 0002 





COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 19 June 1990 on the prevention of  accidents causing marine pollution (90/C  206/01) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES,  Regretting the great damage to the marine ecosystem of the Community caused by the discharge of  more than 100  000 tonnes of mineral oil as a result of the accidents which occurred in the last  fortnight of 1989 involving the tankers 'Aragon`, flying the Spanish flag, and 'Khark-V`, flying  the Iranian flag, in the Atlantic waters near the archipelagos of two Member States, as well as the  accident involving the tanker 'Seawind Dos`, of a similar nature;  Whereas this damage could give rise to calamitous consequences for fauna and flora and other  natural resources of the area;  Whereas the said maritime accidents have aroused considerable public concern, threatening to  undermine the legitimate use of the coasts for recreational purposes, with the resulting negative  repercurssions on the touristic resources of the Member States;  Recalling the enormous material and environmental damage caused in other regions of the Community  by other accidents of this nature, some sadly notorious such as those involving the tankers 'Torrey  Canyon` and 'Amoco Cadiz`;  Concerned about the alarming frequency of this kind of maritime accident;  Considering that the world fleet of VLCC ships has aged and there is no prospect of its being  renewed in the short term as well as the deterioration and lack of appropriate maintenance of a  large number of VLCC tankers, and the additional factor of risky navigation in maritime zones in  bad, and sometimes extreme, meteorological conditions, and on highly congested traffic routes;   Conscious of the fact that the most appropriate method of combating maritime disasters is to  insist on prevention as far as possibilities will allow, bearing in mind that the most effective  way of combating marine pollution is its prevention;  Conscious that the Community must be duly prepared to cope with this type of incident in Community  waters and taking into account that the extent of the damage caused by pollution is directly  related to the speed of response and the degree of coordination between the national and  international services available;  Recognizing that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) represents the focal point for  preventing and combating marine pollution at international level;  Recalling that the IMO has drawn up specific rules and provisions for preventing and combating  marine pollution and that various countries, including all the Member States of the Community,  agreed in Paris to carry out inspections on ships docking in their ports;  Having regard to the resolution of the European Parliament of 17 March 1989 on safety at sea, and  the Commission recommendation on improving the effectiveness of port State control in the  Community, which the Commission submitted to the Council on 2 August 1989,  HEREBY ADOPTS THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION:  1.    Member States will endeavour to provide themselves with an adequate and efficient maritime   administration which is capable of ensuring strict compliance with the technical rules on safety at  sea and the prevention of marine pollution by ships flying their flags, in accordance with the  provisions of the relevant international conventions, in particular the Solas and Marpol  Conventions.  2.    The maritime administration of the Member States will intensify its inspections on foreign  ships docking in Community ports in order to make sure, as far as possible, that they do not  present an unacceptable risk to the safety of human life at sea or to the integrity of the marine  ecosystem. In particular, they will in any case attain the objectives for a minimum number of  inspections provided for in the Paris memorandum on port State control.  3.    Member States will ensure that their maritime inspectors carry out, in the course of the  activities provided for in paragraphs 2 and 3, checks, particularly through the safe manning  document, on the qualification of the people making up the crew of ships, especially of tankers,  paying particular attention to the observance of rule 13 of Chapter V of the Solas Convention and  the provisions of the STCW Convention of 1978.  4.    Member States will, as far as possible, always give reciprocal support in identifying the  origin of, monitoring and combating pollution by crude oil and other substances prejudicial to the  Community's marine environment. In particular, the Member States will take the steps which might be  considered necessary in order to guarantee that in the event of any maritime acccident which  threatens the ecosystem of Community waters, a rapid, efficient and coordinated response is given  by all Member States' administrations, bringing to bear the most appropriate and accessible means  in accordance with the circumstances.  5.    The Commission is requested to start promoting and improving the instrument of Community  action organized in the form of the 'task force`, providing it with the necessary resources and the  precise functions required for coordination and rapidity of response.  6.    At the same time, the Commission is earnestly requested to continue as a matter of urgency  with its research task with regard to the project for the establishment of a system of safety at  sea, based on control posts and shore-based navigation aid systems, in accordance with the general  framework of COST projects 301 and 311, with the aim of providing proper protection for waters  which are essential routes for the Community's maritime traffic.