European Maritime Safety Agency: response to pollution caused by ships, multiannual funding
PURPOSE: to lay down arrangements for the Community's financial contribution concerning pollution caused by ships and other associated actions.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation 1891/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on multi-annual funding for the action of the European Maritime Safety Agency in the field of response to pollution caused by ships and amending Regulation 1406/2002/EC.
CONTENT: the Council adopted, at first reading, a Regulation concerning multi-annual financing for pollution caused by ships and to amend Regulation 1406/2002/EC which establishes the European Maritime Agency. See COD/2000/0327.
The purpose of this Regulation is to lay down the detailed arrangements for the Community's financial contribution to the budget of the European Maritime Safety Agency vis-à-vis tasks assigned to it in the field of responding to pollution caused by ships and other associated actions. It has been awarded a EUR 154 million budget (2007-2013) to realise these objectives.
The financial contribution of the Community will be allocated to the Agency with the aim of financing actions concerning:
a) information and the assembling, analysing and dissemination of best practices, techniques and innovations, such as instruments for monitoring tank-emptying, in the field of responding to pollution caused by ships;
b) co-operation, co-ordination and providing the Member States and the Commission with technical and scientific assistance in the framework of the activities of relevant regional agreements; and
c) operational assistance; support, on request, for actions such as stand-by anti-pollution ships and equipment; and Member States' pollution response actions in the event of accidental or deliberate pollution caused by ships.
In order to define the requirements for operational assistance, such as additional anti-pollution vessels, which are to be provided by the Agency to the Member States, the Agency is expected to draw up, on a regular basis, a list of private and state pollution response mechanisms and response capabilities in the various regions of the European Union.
The Commission and the Agency, together, will ensure that when actions, funded under this Regulation are implemented, the financial interests of the Community are protected by the application of preventative measures against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities, by means of effective checks and the recovery of any amounts unduly paid.
The Commission and the Agency must ensure that best value for money is achieved in the funding of Community actions.
The Commission will submit a report to both the European Parliament and to the Council on the implementation of this Regulation no later than 31 December 2010. The Report will set out how Community finances have been utilised between 2007 and 2009. On the basis of this report, the Commission may, if necessary, propose amendments to the Regulation, taking account of scientific progress in the field of combating pollution from ships - including that caused by oil or hazardous and noxious substances.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 31 December 2006.