Foster demands: Let the maritime agency concentrate on safety
Posted, December 15, 2011 @ 13:00
Changes to the role of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) could prove costly and dilute efforts to drive up safety standards at sea, MEPs have been warned.
Jacqueline Foster, Conservative Spokesman on Transport in the European Parliament, issued the warning during a Strasbourg debate on a European Commission proposal to extend significantly the agency's role.
The North West MEP said: "The European Maritime Safety Agency, which was set up in the wake of the Erika oil tanker incident, carries out an important role in pollution response and should be commended for its work in this area. However, this latest modification of the EMSA regulation extends its competence.
"This may seem harmless - even beneficial, " said Mrs Foster. "However, the S in EMSA represents safety and this must not be forgotten."
As well as extending EMSA's competence to include the analysis of the safety of mobile offshore oil and gas installations, the proposal approved by MEPs today (Thursday) will also give EMSA responsibilities for training of seafarers and the creation of a European Coastguard.
She added: "Oil and gas installations are currently regulated to a very high international standard and duplication is not needed.
"The same applies to the training of seafarers and the certification of ships. We have seen competency creep before and I would not want to see it here. In addition, the proposal to create a European Coastguard would certainly not be acceptable to the UK".
"Increased competency means increased costs and in these difficult economic times any calls for increases in funding must be supported by rigorous justification. I'm afraid I do not see ample justification here."