With the Deepwater Horizon disaster on everyone’s minds, the European Parliament and the Member States have agreed new legislation, with stricter authorisation procedures and financial requirements for offshore drilling within EU waters.
Under the new directive, offshore drilling can only begin when an independent national authority has given approval. Before drilling, oil companies must do a full a risk analysis and prepare an emergency response plan, which is then reviewed by the European Maritime Safety Agency. Regular testing of the response plan is also required, as is proof that their risk prevention policy is applicable outside of the EU. In remote or difficult access areas, the response plan must be tested in all weather conditions.
If a spill occurs, oil companies are fully liable for any form of environmental damage and must prove that they have the means to cover all costs before they can begin drilling. This new Directive replaces EU guidelines that are nearly 20 years old and had less focus on safety. Read more..