Press Release: Energy: Commission sets out new safety standards for offshore oil and gas operations

The likelihood of a major offshore accident in European waters remains unacceptably high. With a stringent safety regime it is possible to bring the risk of such an accident down to the absolute minimum.

Damage done to the environment and coastal economies can be significantly reduced if an effective emergency response plan is put in place beforehand. This is why the European Commission has proposed a new law which will ensure that European offshore oil and gas production will respect the world's highest safety, health and environmental standards everywhere in the EU.

European Commission: Memo/11/740: Commission proposes new rules on the safety of offshore oil and gas activities http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/740&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

---