EU seas to become no drill zone

18 CEOs from some of the world’s largest oil companies were in Brussels on July 14 for a meeting with EU energy commissioner Güther Oettinger and environment commissioner Janez Potocnik to discuss the future of offshore drilling in Europe.

Last week, EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger urged Europe to take “immediate action” and to adopt a “de fato moratorium on new drills until the causes of the [BP Deewater Horizon] accident are know and corrective measures are taken.”  

A proposal that is welcomed by environmental NGOs like Greenpeace. “The consequences of a BP-style  event in areas like the Mediterranean, the North Sea or the Arctic would be catastrophic,” says Christoph von Lieven, oil expert at Greenpeace.  

Speaking to the EU parliament on July 7 Oettinger said that “the commission will come up with concrete proposals in the next months.” Over the coming weeks the two commissioners will continue to meet with international energy and environmental actors to discuss how “to ensure that international standards are strengthened.”

All of this is in response to the massive ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, caused by a British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20. Oettinger’s speech echoes a growing feeling of concern felt by the international community over this environmental catastrophe, deemed by activists as one of the biggest environmental disasters in US history.

Oettinger outlined “five critical points…to maintain Europe’s safety and environmental credential.” This strategy calls for a moratorium on deepwater oil drilling projects and suggests that a new European regulation model should be created.

The commissioner acknowledged that decisions on oil permits and safety rules are made exclusively at the national level but he said that “the traditional division of labour between national authorities and the European level is no longer good enough.” He argued that members should look into creating a European regulation system.

A statement that was quickly called into question by the British government that told the Financial Times “it is not immediately clear what additional benefits would arise from an EU framework.”

According to the Times, an offshore drilling ban would have the greatest impact on the UK.