Home
Back to Topics
My Constituency
Biography
Letters From Europe
The EU Parliament
Picture Gallery
Useful Links
Your Views

  David Sumberg MEP   

 

BRINGING COMMONSENSE TO BRUSSELS

Date:  11/03/2009

 

Maritime package offers passengers better protection

 

North West Conservative MEP David Sumberg said sea passengers will be better protected and European waters safer, after MEPs adopted the EU's third maritime package.

The package, which has the support of the shipping sector as well as the British Chamber of Shipping, covers compensation for passengers, ship inspection, port state control, shipping accident investigations and an independent body that decides where a ship in distress should go.

Passengers will benefit from a new standardised European level of accident liability and insurance that means ship operators are liable for lost or damaged luggage and any physical harm caused by neglect. Previously liability has been set at different, and often insufficient, levels in member states according to their own national laws.

Also included in the package is that national ports will now be able to inspect the condition of foreign ships and the qualifications of their crews. These inspections not only apply to ships in port but also those anchored off-shore. Substandard ships repeatedly breaching rules can now be permanently put on an EU wide blacklist.

Following the vote, Mr Sumberg said:

"This package gives passengers greater protection when travelling by sea without dumping unnecessary red-tape and bureaucracy on ferry companies.

"It is right for foreign ships and crews entering EU ports to meet the same standards as our ships and face bans if they continually fail to do so.

"Despite taking over two years to negotiate and finalise, we should welcome this package as a positive step for the EU's maritime industry."

[ Home ] [ Back to Topics ] [ My Constituency ] [ Biography ] [ Letters From Europe ] [ The EU Parliament ] [ Picture Gallery ] [ Useful Links ] [ Your Views ]