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

Parliament approved the resolution by Mr Konstantinos HATZIDAKIS (EPP-ED, GR) on the Council's common position without amendment. Since almost all amendments from first reading had been included in the common position, there was no reason for delay in the phasing-out timetable for single-hull oil tankers, particularly since two years had now passed since the shipwreck of the Erika. Single hull tankers will now be phased out on the basis of a ship's date of delivery, i.e. on completing a certain number of years of service. The deadlines, based on a schedule laid down in April 2001 by the IMO, are the following: Category 1 ships (more than 25 years old) should be withdrawn by 2007 and Category 2 ships (those meeting the conditions of a special survey regime) by 2015. The withdrawal deadline for Category 3 ships (below 20.000 ore 30.000 tons depending on circumstances) is also 2015 but the tonnage limit for these vessels has increased from the 3000 tons suggested by Parliament at first reading to 5000 tons.�