Accidental or deliberate marine pollution: hydrocarbons or harmful substances, community framework for cooperation

The committee adopted the draft recommendation for second reading (codecision procedure) by Patricia McKENNA (Greens/EFA, IRL) amending the Council's common position on a Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution. The committee essentially retabled and in some cases clarified the amendments adopted by Parliament at first reading. It accordingly called inter alia for 'harmful substances' to be defined to include, but not be limited to, all materials covered by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, all radioactive substances and releases from dumped munitions. It also called for 'accidental marine pollution' to be defined to include, but not be limited to, all releases of harmful substances into the marine environment, whether civilian or military, either directly on or into the sea, or from the shoreline, or river estuaries, or through releases from materials previously dumped at sea. The committee also wanted Member States to cooperate to ensure that the principle of economic responsibility ("the polluter pays") was applied. Other amendments adopted included adding a provision whereby neighbouring coastal countries participating in the PHARE, TACIS and MEDA programmes could take part in the actions implemented under the cooperation framework and Community co-financing could be provided.�