Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-22-Speech-1-077"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20030922.5.1-077"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Mr President, unfortunately, the EU learnt little from the
disaster, when 13 000 tonnes of oil spilled off the coast of Brittany. If the Commission's original
package had been implemented, single-hulled tankers like the
would have been replaced by 2002.
The
disaster highlighted the gaps in the implementation of EU legislation and the lack of a sufficient EU response mechanism, which aggravated the environmental impact.
At the time the Spanish Government was criticised for towing the stricken vessel out to sea, ignoring the advice of experts who argued that it should be taken to a sheltered bay or port where the oil could be contained. Ironically, Mr Sterckx's report points out that six months later, neither France nor Spain had designated safe havens and contingency plans to the Commission, as required by EU law.
The
incident should have been viewed as occurring in EU waters, with potentially devastating consequences for the shared environment and European fishing industries. Environmental disasters of this magnitude underline the need for an EU coastguard. It cannot simply be left to individual Member States to act alone.
I have been campaigning for the establishment of an EU Coastguard for a number of years. As well as the problems of marine pollution, European citizens are also alarmed that our coastal waters are being exploited by organised crime for trafficking in arms, drugs, cigarettes and human beings. Furthermore, given the present geo-political climate, with the increased possible threat of terrorist attacks using the seas of Europe, we should consider how best to prevent such an attack occurring. Often EU leaders seek to make the EU more relevant to the daily lives of their citizens. Establishing an EU coastguard would be a tangible way of doing this because it addresses the real concerns of those they and we represent.
That is why I welcome the rapporteur's proposal for the establishment of an EU coastguard and also the similar call made recently by the current President-in-Office of the Council, Silvio Berlusconi. This is an idea whose time has come and action should be taken upon it."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples