New EU Transport Committee
Following the European elections of June 2004, the newly elected European Parliament held its first plenary session from 20 to 22 July. During this session, MEPs formally approved the nomination by the European Council of Portugal's Jose Manuel Durao Barrosso as Romano Prodi's successor as European Commission President. The key institutional change on the maritime front is that the former "RETT" Committee of the European Parliament ("Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism) has been split into two separate committees, Transport and Tourism on the one hand, and Regional Policy on the other. This is a positive development for the shipping industry as one can expect members of the new Transport and Tourism Committee to be more specialised and focused on transport issues.
EC Vows to Toughen Maritime Safety
The European Commission (EC) has adopted rules prohibiting transport of heavy fuel in single hull tankers and setting an earlier date for phase-out of single hull tankers. Further work is planned with regard to clarification of legal responsibility for maritime accidents. On January 2, French President Jacques Chirac and Commission President Romano Prodi discussed the issue of maritime safety. This followed the collision of the Turkish tanker Vicky with a sunken carrier off the French coast on Wednesday. The tanker was transporting 70,000 tons of highly flammable kerosene. Against the backdrop of this accident and the ongoing oil pollution caused by the accident of the tanker "Prestige" off the Spanish coast last November…
