Greenpeace activists dress in bird costums with black oil stains to simulate an oil disaster at the door of the EU Headquarters where European Ministers of Transport Telecommunication and Energy are meeting to discuss maritime safety.
Over 35 Greenpeace activists today simulated an oil disaster at
the door of the EU Headquarters as European Ministers of Transport,
Telecommunications and Energy were meeting to discuss maritime
safety. Volunteers dress in bird costumes with black oil stains
carried signs and banners that read: ACT NOW.
Oil ran down the flags of EU Member States that were displayed
by the activists. Five barrels of oil waste and residue brought
from the Prestige oil disaster were discharged in front of the
building.
Greenpeace is demanding full and unlimited liability throughout
the chain of responsibilities, including the owners, managers and
operators of a vessel and of any charterers or owners of the cargo.
Additionally, Greenpeace is demanding that the EU immediately ban
the use of single hulled tankers carrying hazardous cargo and
exclude ecologically sensitive marine areas from shipping
routes.
Greenpeace believes that the European Union is once again
responding in crisis mode to an environmental disaster caused by a
shipping accident involving thousands of tonnes of oil. The rules
which were adopted even if fully implemented following the Erika
disaster were patently inadequate to prevent yet another accident.
The reality today is
that the oil from the Prestige is washing up in increasing
amounts on the shores of Spain, damaging the marine environment and
destroying livelihoods of many who depend on the sea for their
living.
The system as it stands now needs to be changed, said Simon
Carroll of Greenpeace. It s time decision makers took a good hard
look at the environment and put it ahead of the demands of the
shipping industry.
What we need today are effective mechanisms that are implemented
and enforced. The measures in place or being proposed now are
simply not enough to prevent another disaster like the
Prestige.
Greenpeace criticises some of the measures proposed by the
Commission (1). The proposal to prohibit the use of single-hull
tankers for heavy fuel should go beyond that to include all
hazardous cargoes.
Although the need to protect the coasts and coastal waters is
recognised, no concrete actions and no timetable to develop and
implement these measures are being proposed.
It s time to put the world s oceans and the people who depend on
the marine environment for their livelihood ahead of all other
considerations, added Carroll. There is no turning back the clock
on all of the destruction.
VVPR info: Footage and stills available:John Novis, Greenpeace Picture Editor, ++31 6 53 81 91 21Lucy Clayton, Greenpeace Video Producer, ++ 31 6 53 50 47 21
Notes: 1. Full critique of proposed measures available upon request. Activists participating in today s activities are from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and Spain.