23 June 2010 - The Green MEP for the South East has welcomed a report which seeks to update the EU’s maritime policy – but warned that more robust environmental protections measures were needed, particularly in the wake of the catastrophic Deepwater oil spill.

In his first full meeting of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) since joining the European Parliament three weeks ago, Keith Taylor commented on the Meissner report on ‘Integrated Maritime Policy’, which attempts to address the diverse pressures on today’s marine environment.

Keith said: “The Greens welcome the Meissner report’s recognition of the need for integration between different coastguard services, and the need for specific strategies and measures to be tailored to the specificities of different sea basins and sub-regions.

“We are also pleased that sustainable tourism warrants a mention – although we would like to see more of a focus on nature protection in coastal areas.

“As oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico in one of the worst environmental disasters the world has ever seen, we need to see much stronger demands on the Commission to identify legislative loopholes at EU and member State level. How, for example, is the Commission planning to address the issue of oil platform safety?”

The South East MEP continued: “The identification of sensitive marine areas is also crucial; these areas should receive special protection and surveillance, with ships carrying hazardous cargos being prohibited from using them. 

“Finally, I’d like climate protection to play a bigger role in EU maritime policy, partly through the inclusion of maritime transport in the Emissions Trading Schemes and the Europe 2020 targets. We also need to see a far greater promotion of renewable energies like solar, wind and tidal in the maritime transport sector.”

ENDS