The call follows a recently released Draft Report on the Prestige crisis issued by the Transport Committee of the European Parliament which noted that the lack of an appropriate contingency plan and the failure to provide a place of refuge contributed to the extensive pollution.
According to a European Council (EC) directive issued earlier this year, member states were to establish detailed contingency plans and measures for places of refuge in their respective coastal waters to assist ships in distress by July 1, 2003.
They were also to establish clear decision-making structures and chains of command for maritime emergencies which would be overseen by an independent authority with judicial and financial authority capable of making binding decisions in such circumstances.
The Shipping Times reported that France, one of the most vocal post-Prestige countries, has joined a group of other countries in saying it will not provide the EC with pre-designated places of refuge but has devised procedures to aid decision-making for all potential incidents off its coast. However, these procedures will not be made public.
The round table members have also added their collective voice to oppose the EU's few post post-Prestige actions, including the push for changes to global legislation governing oil tankers through amendments to Annex 1 of Marpol 73/78 (The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships).
Following the Prestige oil tanker disaster, the EC wants to accelerate the phase out of single hull tankers, expand the Conditional Assessment Scheme (CAS) to all category 2 (20,000 dwt and up and pre-Marpol tankers 30,000 dwt and up) and category 3 tankers (5,000 dwt and above, but less than category 2) over 15 years of age.
It also wants to ban the transport of heavy grades of oil in single-hulled tankers.
The round table comprised the Baltic and International Maritime Council (Bimco), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo), and International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko).
