27 April 2004 08:15
BALTIC SEA BECOMES PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE SEA AREA
The International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee, meeting in London from
March 29 to April 2, decided that the Baltic Sea should be recognised as a particularly sensitive sea area. This special
status, sought by eight Baltic Sea countries, will allow special measures to be adopted to protect the Sea from the risk
of pollution. The Baltic Sea countries may impose tougher navigation standards on oil tankers, to ensure, for example,
that ships are in a good condition or crew members are suitably qualified. Russia refused to back this special status,
thereby exempting Russian territorial waters and ships from the special measures. The eight other Baltic Sea countries
supporting the initiative (Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark) now have two years to
submit proposals for tightening up the current shipping rules.
[Transport Europe] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
