Maritime safety: double hull or equivalent design for single hull oil tankers, package Erika I

The European Parliament adopts the Commission's proposal to ensure the acceleration of the phasing out of single hull oil tankers operating under the flag of the Member States or in traffic to and from EU ports, in relation to the timetable currently in force through the international Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol 73/78). The European Parliament also shares the view of the European Commission and of the Council, that similar measures should be taken at global level. The International Maritime Organisation convened its Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) to prepare an amendment to the MARPOL 73/78 Regulation 13 G of Annex I to this effect. This draft amendment was agreed by MEPC in its 45th session on 2 to 6 October 2000. The amendments adopted by the Parliament are based on the draft MEPC text, which the Commission finds acceptable in relation to its original proposal. The Commission therefore, in the interest of harmonisation, accepts the amendments by the Parliament concerning the phase-out schedule for single hull tankers, since the proposed schedule is in line with the aforementioned new wording of Regulation 13 G of Annex I of the Marpol Convention. The Commission also agrees to exclude tankers between 600 and 3 000 tonnes deadweight from the phase-out schedule of the proposal, to ensure normal supply to the market in the island regions of the Union. The Commission furthermore agreed to withdraw its proposed system of financial incentives and disincentives, based on differential charging of port and pilotage fees, in the view of its expected limited impact. The Commission can however not accept: - the amendment proposing to create a new Committee, for the purpose of this Regulation only, rather than as is customary in recent legislation, make use of an existing Committee; - the amendment including a recital with a political statement not suitable for a legislative text, which has no equivalence in the Article of the Directive. �