European Parliament
Marques (PPE-DE ),
in writing
. –
(PT)
In response to the
Prestige
disaster, the Commission announced a raft of measures designed to minimise the risk of future accidents involving ships such as the
Erika
and the
Prestige
. The Commission is proposing three fundamental changes: the introduction of a law stipulating that crude oil and its heavy fractions be transported only in double hull oil tankers; the rapid withdrawal from service of single hull oil tankers; and more widespread application of the special oil tanker inspection scheme (the programme for assessing the seaworthiness of ships). The latter aims to assess the structural soundness of single hull tankers more than 15 years old.
For that reason, I give my unequivocal support to this proposal for a Regulation, which I believe is extremely positive. It promises to guarantee greater safety for maritime traffic, tighter control over the transport of hydrocarbons and more effective protection of the marine environment. These are measures which I have supported for some time.
This matter is of the utmost interest not just for a Member State such as Portugal (which has an immensely long coastline and includes extremely vulnerable island territories, including the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores), but for the whole of the European Union as well.

