The European Commission for the very first
time envisages comprehensive EU legislation on oil platforms aimed at
ensuring the highest safety standards in the world. In the
Communication on the safety of oil and gas activities the Commission contemplates new
EU standards, including criteria for granting drilling permits, controls of
the rigs and safety control
mechanisms.
Günther Oettinger, Commissioner for
Energy, said: "Safety is non negotiable. We have to make sure that a disaster similar
to the one in the Gulf of Mexico will never happen in European waters. This is why we
propose that best practices already existing in Europe will become the
standard throughout the European Union."
In the Communication, the Commission
recommends specific EU legislation on oil platforms, indicating that a formal
proposal could be tabled early next year. Such an EU wide approach is deemed necessary, as
the environmental, economic and social damages caused by a possible offshore
accident do not know borders.
The Communication covers standards on the
prevention, the response and the financial liability:
- Granting permits: When granting
licences for new drillings, Member States will have to make sure that the oil companies
meet key EU requirements:
Companies must have a contingency plan and
prove that they have the financial means available to them to pay for
environmental damage caused in the event of an accident.
- Controls: Oil platforms are
controlled by national authorities. These supervision tasks of national authorities
should be evaluated by independent experts.
- Standards for safety equipment: Technical
standards will ensure that only control equipment meeting the highest
safety standards will be allowed. This includes in particular blow out
preventers.
- Damages/Response: Oil companies
have to clean up and remedy the damage caused to the environment following an
accident within a zone of maximal 200 nautical miles from the coast. The
European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA),
presently focussing on pollution caused by
ships will also help on those caused
by oil platforms.
- International: The Commission
will work for implementing existing international conventions and new common initiatives. 2
Background:
Following the disaster in the Gulf of
Mexico on 20 April 2010, the European Commission has screened existing rules on
oil platforms. Although safety standards in the EU industry are generally high, the
rules often vary from a company to company and legislation differs from one
Member State to another. Certain safety aspects are also governed by existing EU
legislation, such as the EU environmental Liability Directive, the Waste Framework
Directive. The analysis showed however
that an overhaul and a more coherent legal
framework is needed, if the highest safety standard should be assured.
The 2010 Commission's Report on
Environmental Liability can be found here:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/legal/liability/index.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/oil/offshore/standards_en.htm
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