European Maritime Safety Agency: response to pollution caused by ships, multiannual funding

The European Parliament adopted a report by Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL (EPP-ED, ES) and made some amendments to the proposal:

- a new recital states that the activities of the Agency in this field should not relieve coastal states of their responsibility to have appropriate pollution response mechanisms in place and should respect existing co-operation arrangements between Member States or groups of Member States in this field. In the event of a maritime pollution incident, the Agency should assist the Member State(s) affected, under the authority of which the clean-up operations will be conducted.

- In accordance with the Action Plan, the Agency is to play an active role in developing a centralised satellite imagery service for surveillance, the early detection of pollution and identification of the ships responsible. This new system will improve the availability of data and the effectiveness of the response to pollution caused by ships.

- New definitions were adopted by Parliament. "Oil" means petroleum in any form including crude oil, fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse and refined products as established by the OPRC 1990 (International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990). In addition, Parliament adopted a definition on "hazardous and noxious substances".

- The Agency should pay particular attention to those areas identified as most vulnerable without prejudice to any other area in need.

- A new article states that in order to define the requirements for operational assistance, such as additional anti-pollution vessels, provided by the Agency to the Member States, it is important that the Agency draw up on a regular basis a list of the private and State pollution response mechanisms and response capacity available in the various regions of the Union.

- The Commission and the Agency, within their respective duties, shall ensure that best value for money is achieved in the financing of Community actions under this Regulation.

- The Commission should carry out a mid-term evaluation of the regulation. On the basis of this report the Commission, if appropriate, shall propose relevant changes to this Regulation to take account of scientific progress in the field of combating pollution from ships, including that caused by oil or hazardous and noxious substances.