1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:18,840 Erika and Prestige. These two names are synonymous with tragedies that highlighted the vulnerability 2 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,960 of Europe's coastline. In response to these disasters, the European Union took a series 3 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:29,280 of supplementary measures to make its seas safer. Among them were the creation of the 4 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:35,160 European Maritime Safety Agency, a ban on single-hull ships carrying heavy fuel oil, 5 00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:40,680 reinforced inspection of ships in ports and the publication of a blacklist of banned vessels. 6 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:46,880 Today, a third set of measures on maritime safety is being proposed by the European Commission. 7 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:52,320 This coherent package allows Europe to offer a maritime service which is safe, competitive 8 00:00:52,320 --> 00:01:03,080 and which respects the environment. It's true that the security system still has deficiencies 9 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:08,160 and it's been observed that one of the missing links was a better definition of the responsibility 10 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:21,720 of the member states with regard to vessels sailing under their flags. Since enlargement, 11 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:26,320 Europe's fleet makes up 25% of the world's ships. The Commission's ambition is to make 12 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:31,560 this a model fleet. To achieve this, all member states must examine ships registered in their 13 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:36,920 country according to the same criteria and with the same determination. Hence the idea 14 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:42,520 of writing the International Maritime Organization's control standards into community law and so 15 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:47,960 make their application obligatory throughout the Union. It's a proposal which is very much 16 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:52,640 in line with the thoughts of Europe's ship owners. 17 00:01:52,640 --> 00:02:02,160 The EU fleet is a modern one, high quality and has been renewed constantly and the average 18 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:09,120 age is constantly going down. We realise that some people have made criticism about the 19 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:16,160 flags of the new countries, especially the big fleets of Cyprus and Malta. But even there, 20 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:22,680 the last year, since accession and since they have to apply the acquis communautaire, 21 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,400 there also improvements have been made. 22 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,660 But why strive for a model fleet in Europe if Europe's ports are being used by floating 23 00:02:30,660 --> 00:02:35,400 dustbins from other regions of the world? They're a real danger, bring discredit to 24 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:40,760 the profession and represent unfair competition. To get rid of them, there are many more controls 25 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,840 in ports, but the system is not yet perfect. 26 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:52,280 Now you have also, still up to today, a requirement for port state controlling member states to 27 00:02:52,280 --> 00:03:01,360 control 25% of the ships calling that port. Now if you are only at 10% in June, then you 28 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:08,120 quickly control quality ships. It's easy to get your 25% by the end of the year. That's 29 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,420 not the purpose. 30 00:03:10,420 --> 00:03:14,540 It's exactly this that the Commission wants to change. Throughout Europe, the objective 31 00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:19,180 would be to inspect each vessel with a higher risk profile more frequently and quality ships 32 00:03:19,180 --> 00:03:24,180 less frequently. This is what's happening here in Southampton in southern England, where 33 00:03:24,180 --> 00:03:28,780 inspectors rarely board a vessel by chance. We should mention that this particular ship 34 00:03:28,780 --> 00:03:30,780 did meet all the legal requirements. 35 00:03:31,740 --> 00:03:34,740 Good morning, Captain. Port state control. 36 00:03:39,740 --> 00:03:43,660 It's not totally random, no. We have something called a target factor, which is worked out 37 00:03:43,660 --> 00:03:49,180 on the basis of the flag of the vessel, the past history of the vessel, the size of the 38 00:03:49,180 --> 00:03:54,340 vessel and the type of the vessel. And then, depending on the target factor, if it has 39 00:03:54,340 --> 00:03:59,060 a high target factor, we will inspect it. If it has a lower target factor, of course, 40 00:03:59,060 --> 00:04:03,580 we inspect them less often, because we work on the basis that if you've got a low target 41 00:04:03,580 --> 00:04:09,220 factor, you don't want to actually penalise the good boys, if you know what I mean. 42 00:04:09,220 --> 00:04:14,060 It is impossible, obviously, to put an inspector on every ship. However, each vessel does need 43 00:04:14,060 --> 00:04:18,420 a pilot to enter the port. Pilots will therefore be asked to report vessels which are clearly 44 00:04:18,420 --> 00:04:20,420 not up to scratch. 45 00:04:20,780 --> 00:04:22,780 Port 10. 46 00:04:24,780 --> 00:04:30,780 If we get a report from a pilot, we will always inspect that vessel, because they are a very 47 00:04:30,780 --> 00:04:36,020 good indicator on operational standards on a vessel. Because unfortunately, we are rather 48 00:04:36,020 --> 00:04:40,740 stuck with that we are very limited in the operational aspects of a ship, apart from 49 00:04:40,740 --> 00:04:47,140 what we see when we're on the ship. So we do rely to a degree on people like pilots. 50 00:04:47,340 --> 00:04:52,940 Another sector involved in maritime security is classification societies. They establish 51 00:04:52,940 --> 00:04:58,860 construction standards for ships, monitor construction, deliver navigation certificates 52 00:04:58,860 --> 00:05:04,620 and certify repair and maintenance work. But the quality of these societies' work could 53 00:05:04,620 --> 00:05:10,660 be better controlled. Inspectors from the European Maritime Safety Agency should have 54 00:05:10,660 --> 00:05:16,620 unrestricted access to files and to all the vessels monitored by these societies. And 55 00:05:16,620 --> 00:05:22,940 when things go wrong, proper sanctions are needed. A range of measures which will also 56 00:05:22,940 --> 00:05:29,940 introduce financial penalties. The European Union has four times more coastline than Russia 57 00:05:30,020 --> 00:05:35,440 and seven times more than the United States. It has to deal with one of the highest levels 58 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:40,780 of maritime traffic in the world, hence the importance of monitoring. To prevent accidents 59 00:05:40,780 --> 00:05:45,540 and react instantly in case of problems, it's vital to have maximum information about each 60 00:05:45,540 --> 00:05:51,620 ship. And here, the solution is called SafeSeaNet, an electronic data exchange network operated 61 00:05:51,620 --> 00:05:57,660 by the European Maritime Safety Agency, which will be extended throughout the Union. By 62 00:05:57,660 --> 00:06:02,660 connecting to SafeSeaNet, any country's maritime authorities will be able to directly consult 63 00:06:02,660 --> 00:06:07,460 the information contained in the databases of their European partners and find out all 64 00:06:07,460 --> 00:06:14,460 about any vessel sailing in Europe's waters. Improving security also means improving the 65 00:06:16,420 --> 00:06:22,300 worst and learning lessons from previous catastrophes. As a result of the Prestige disaster, the 66 00:06:22,300 --> 00:06:27,060 European Union is demanding that its members define refuge zones to accommodate ships in 67 00:06:27,060 --> 00:06:33,860 distress. This concept has been used in the United Kingdom for almost ten years. The aim 68 00:06:33,860 --> 00:06:38,340 is to limit pollution to a restricted area such as this bay, rather than allow it to 69 00:06:38,340 --> 00:06:45,340 disperse over hundreds of kilometres with well-known consequences. The bay out there 70 00:06:45,620 --> 00:06:51,300 is the sort of place that we might use to bring a ship if it needed sheltered waters 71 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:58,300 to effect repairs or assess damage. In the UK, our policy is that everywhere could become 72 00:06:59,020 --> 00:07:04,820 a place of refuge. There is no ranking before an incident. As soon as an incident occurs, 73 00:07:04,860 --> 00:07:10,580 then some places are going to be better for that particular incident than others. But, 74 00:07:10,580 --> 00:07:17,780 as I say, it's determined by exactly what the incident is, when it occurs, and where. 75 00:07:17,780 --> 00:07:22,300 What's more, Member States will have to nominate a single, completely independent authority 76 00:07:22,300 --> 00:07:26,300 which will take the decision to send a vessel in distress to the most appropriate place 77 00:07:26,300 --> 00:07:33,300 of refuge. That person has the power to make decisions all depending on the situation. 78 00:07:34,820 --> 00:07:39,820 Decisions relating to places of refuge, to make the ultimate decisions and take over 79 00:07:39,820 --> 00:07:45,820 overriding command without recourse to any higher authority. That is the Secretary of 80 00:07:45,820 --> 00:07:52,260 State's representative, the SOS rep. That is me. As a result of any catastrophe, there 81 00:07:52,260 --> 00:07:58,480 must follow an enquiry into the causes, allocation of responsibility and compensation. On these 82 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:03,060 points the Commission is asking for more transparency on the one hand and stricter penalties on 83 00:08:03,060 --> 00:08:09,660 the other. As far as compensating the victims of oil spills goes, Europe has already obtained 84 00:08:09,660 --> 00:08:16,660 the quadrupling of the damages ceiling applied by FIPOL, the International Indemnity Fund. 85 00:08:16,940 --> 00:08:20,900 But beyond increased compensation, there's also the matter of making the profession more 86 00:08:20,900 --> 00:08:27,900 responsible. For example, by making civil liability insurance obligatory for all ships. 87 00:08:28,180 --> 00:08:33,020 Even today, 5% of ships at sea are not insured. And, of course, among these are the most dangerous 88 00:08:33,180 --> 00:08:39,220 vessels. But one of the most spectacular decisions taken after the Prestige disaster is about 89 00:08:39,220 --> 00:08:46,220 addressing pollution due to serious negligence or intentional act. This type of criminal 90 00:08:46,660 --> 00:08:50,960 sanction, which would be extended to cover the whole European Union, has proved effective 91 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:55,140 in France, where, for example, off the coast of Brittany, they've managed to significantly 92 00:08:55,140 --> 00:09:00,980 reduce degassing at sea, which is a less concentrated source of pollution, but nonetheless a considerable 93 00:09:00,980 --> 00:09:07,060 one. The role of the European Maritime Safety Agency is being reinforced in this area. It 94 00:09:07,060 --> 00:09:12,980 will develop tracing systems allowing identification of polluters. It could also mobilize specialist 95 00:09:12,980 --> 00:09:18,020 vessels to deal with oil spills, which would be ready to intervene swiftly on request of 96 00:09:18,020 --> 00:09:25,020 the member states concerned. In matters of maritime security, the European Union has 97 00:09:26,020 --> 00:09:31,700 clearly decided to tirelessly track down substandard vessels and to improve its level of preparedness 98 00:09:31,700 --> 00:09:36,340 and vigilance. The instruments are there. It's now up to each country to implement 99 00:09:36,340 --> 00:09:43,340 them to make the sea safer for everyone. What we obviously need now is to insist on very 100 00:09:43,740 --> 00:09:50,100 high quality maritime administrations in each member state. And we must also make the voice 101 00:09:50,220 --> 00:09:55,620 of Europe heard in the international maritime organization, to put up a determined fight 102 00:09:55,620 --> 00:10:00,820 against dustbin vessels, substandard ships which represent unfair competition to our 103 00:10:00,820 --> 00:10:07,820 flags. We want these European flags to be models, which I think is an excellent objective.