Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-11-21-Speech-4-165"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20021121.7.4-165"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, I should first like to thank the Commissioner for her presence in the House today. It is evidence of the great interest I know she has in this issue which is causing such concern to us all.
The
was carrying twice as much crude oil in its tanks as the
. The oil slick it caused is already an economic, social and environmental disaster for Europe, especially for my home region. It represents a mayor problem for Europe and its consequences will be felt for many long years.
More than 300 km of coastline have been polluted. Three further spills have been detected and the strong wind from the south-west is bringing them closer to the coast. Shellfish production, inshore fishing, aquaculture, tourism and the very image of Galicia have all been seriously affected.
Galicia is known to be an area prone to oil spills, yet it remains unprotected, despite the fact that 70% of Europe’s crude oil goes past its coastline. No effective lessons seem to have been learnt, even after enduring five oil spills. Sadly, it also has to be said that lack of equipment is currently hampering the efforts of many citizens eager to help.
Pictures of hundreds of fishermen sewing together an enormous net four kilometres long to create an amateur device for holding back the oil speak volumes. So do pictures of people on beaches armed with buckets and spades. They show twenty-first century citizens coping with a nineteenth century disaster using Stone Age tools. Information has failed too. Spanish public opinion believes attempts were made to play down the gravity of the situation. This is in stark contrast to the grave concern expressed by European governments.
The Commissioner rightly said that the disaster could have been prevented if European regulations had been applied. In addition, she stated that the Erika package will come into force in 2003. She went on to say, however, that despite Parliament’s express wish to the contrary, vessels without protective ballast tanks will be able to ply the seas until 2012. Those that do have such protection will be permitted up to 2026. Furthermore, the requirement for double hulls does not apply to small tankers, so they will still be able to sail also. That is why I am delighted with the Commissioner’s swift response. I welcome it and urge Member States in the Council to accept her proposals as a matter of urgency.
Nonetheless, further action is needed. For example, tankers carrying dangerous goods should be required to set routes along the furthermost part of the shipping lane, and the Finisterre lane should be relocated away from the coast. It is certainly true that this issue calls for legislation at world level, but the European Union has to press ahead.
The Socialist Group calls for a policy on transport and sustainable development based on the principle of maximum safety and prevention. Such a policy must reinforce cooperation within the Community, along with the means of inspection and safety standards.
We reiterate the call for Community funds to be channelled to this disaster. Community aid must retain its credibility, however. You will recall that Galicia was recently let down when no Community agreement was reached with Morocco. The victims’ interests must come first. We therefore believe that the European Solidarity Fund set up recently is the most appropriate instrument in this case, as it is flexible, immediate, and was devised as a Community instrument."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples