By Martin Banks - 11th December 2008
MEPs have welcomed a deal that finally paves the way for adoption of the EU maritime package.
It follows agreement between parliament and member states on the thorny issue of compensation for sea passengers in the event of an accident.
Under the deal between the two EU institutions, ship owners will have to pay compensation of up to €2,587 for lost or damaged cabin luggage and up to €460,000 for physical harm or death caused by neglect.
Italian ALDE deputy Paolo Costa, one of parliament’s rapporteurs on the issue, won the concession after protracted discussions.
Deals had already been reached on ship inspections, port state control, the authority that decides where a ship in distress should go and shipping accident inspections.
Costa welcomed agreement on the package which means the proposals should now come into effect by 2012 at the latest.
Overall, the package aims to improve the safety of ships and the action taken in the event of an accident at sea.
The decision was welcomed by stakeholders involved in the consultation process on the package, including the Rennes-based Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions.
As part of the conciliation procedure, parliament also won a concession on the issue of sub-standard vessels in EU ports.
Member states had wanted only a temporary ban but, at parliament’s insistence, ships repeatedly found to be in breach of the rule may be put on an EU-wide blacklist permanently.
There will also be more frequent controls, said the conciliation committee.
It also agreed to a proposal that member states must designate a competent authority with the power to take ‘independent’ decisions in the event of a rescue operation.
Reaction to the vote came from Jean-Yves Le Drian, coordinator of the 'Aquamarina' working group for the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR).
Le Drian, who is president of the regional council of Brittany, said, "This is a postive but moderate step forward. It is still too early to guage just how far-reachign the policy will be."
"The CPMR is very glad about this agreement but it can only be considered as a start for a new discussion on maritime safety. Indeed, the CPMR regrets that maritime safety is not a priority for many member states."
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