The call was a response to BP's accident in the Gulf of Mexico, but the idea has been rebuffed by the European Union's parliament and by Britain, the home of the EU's biggest oil explorers.
"Safety is non-negotiable," said EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, presenting the plans on Wednesday (13 October).
"We have to make sure that a disaster similar to the one in the Gulf of Mexico will never happen in European waters. This is why we propose that best practices already existing in Europe will become the standard throughout the European Union."
A draft paper last week called on EU governments to implement a drilling ban, but the final version of the plan now says it is a decision best made in national capitals.
"National licensing procedures in all member states should be reviewed to reflect recognised best practices and to include EU-wide obligations for safety, health and environmental performance, risk management and independent verification," the paper says.
Key requirements for the licensing of hydrocarbon exploration and production "should be defined at EU level," the Commission adds, saying it will make proposals in 2011.
Meanwhile, "a temporary suspension of future authorisations could be appropriate" for complex offshore operations, the Commission added, without recommending a full moratorium.
Oettinger said that Europe's current regulations for offshore exploration cannot cope with an industry that is drilling further offshore, under different safety regimes.
"Such a fragmented regime may not provide an adequate response for the risks posed by the evolution of offshore oil and gas industrial activities," the plan says.
Any legally binding proposals that emerge from the review would need to go before the European Parliament for debate and would need approval from all 27 EU member states before taking effect.
"The licensing regime needs to be backed up by an unequivocal liability regime which must include adequate financial security instruments to cover major incidents," the document says.
During licensing, companies would have to prove the "safety case" for each operation and demonstrate the company's ability to prevent and deal with crises.
They might also have to prove their financial ability to handle the consequences of unforeseen events, possibly via insurance schemes or risk-coverage instruments.
(EurActiv with Reuters.)
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