Press Release: Energy Commissioner Oettinger welcomes Parliament adoption of offshore legislation

In the aftermath of the "Deepwater Horizon" accident in the US Gulf of Mexico in May 2010 the European Commission reviewed the existing Member States' safety frameworks for offshore operations and proposed new legislation to ensure that the world's highest safety, health and environmental standards apply everywhere in the EU marine waters.

On 21 May 2013 the European Parliament adopted the EU legislative proposal on the safety of offshore oil and gas operations in the EU. The Council still need to formally approve the Directive.