By Martin Banks - 8th June 2010
We need action now, not another meeting in September
Boguslaw Sonik
The EU commission has been criticised for its "poor" response to the aftermath of the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Polish deputy Boguslaw Sonik said on Tuesday that the EU generally had "failed to respond adequately" to the crisis.
Sonik has drafted a parliamentary report calling on European authorities to strengthen their oversight and inspections of deepwater oil platforms operating in the European waters.
The report also recommends stronger safety rules and a strengthening of international rules for offshore exploration and drilling.
It comes after the oil spill in the Gulf caused by a leaking BP wellhead which is currently spewing out between 12,000 and 24,000 barrels of oil per day.
The own-initiative report failed to make it to the agenda of a recent environment committee meeting, but Sonik told this website he hopes it will be debated and voted upon by deputies before the summer recess.
He was particularly critical of the commission for what he called its "failure" to adequately examine the issue of a similar disaster happening in EU waters.
The commission organised a meeting with oil companies on 11 May but Sonik said this was "behind closed doors" and produced "insufficient information" about its outcome.
Another meeting is planned for September.
The meeting was organised by EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger but Sonik said he believes the issues should also involve the environment commissioner Janez Potocnik.
He said, "It is unacceptable for the commission to take so long to decide on a plan of action to ensure Europe does not suffer a similar disaster.
"We need action now, not another meeting in September."
Sonik was addressing a news conference organised by the US-based NGO, Food and Water Watch, and its European partner Food and Water Europe.
The MEP, deputy chair of the environment committee, said the security of oil platforms in the North Sea was "another important issue".
He said, "The EU needs to keep a close eye on the safety of these platforms to ensure that what has occurred in the Gulf does not happen in Europe.
"We need to know what the commission's environment DG has to say about all this and, to date, we are still waiting.
"It would have been nice to hear something from the commission showing solidarity with the victims in the US and what it proposes to do to help.
"The Gulf disaster should be a wake up call for the commission. It needs to re-evaluate if the current directives are adequate."
Wenonah Hauter, of Food and Water Watch, said the Gulf disaster was a "cautionary tale" for Europe.
She told journalists, "BP is known for cutting corners where safety is concerned and its deepwater operations in the US are a cautionary tale for Europe."
She added, "The commission should not enable the industry to evaluate itself when it comes to safety."
She said EU officials should ensure member states "are regulating deep water operations adequately".
Due to the location of five BP deepwater facilities in the North Atlantic and Atlantic currents, any BP disaster there would "foul the entire North Sea", she said.
