Transport ministers reached agreement on a directive aiming to ensure that safety inspections are carried out on all ships calling at EU ports in a bid to prevent pollution at sea.
The Commission will kick-start a public debate in May with a 'Green paper' proposing a comprehensive approach to issues as diverse as fisheries, shipbuilding, tourism, energy, environmental protection and maritime safety.
The EU ministers of transport reached a political agreement on the creation of a European Agency for Maritime Security, at the Transport Council on 6-7 December 2001. The ministers also adopted a Directive concerning the reporting formalities for ships arriving in and departing from Community ports.
