The Curonian Spit, oil and the environment
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Text adopted by the Standing Committee acting on behalf of the Assembly on 1 September 2005 (see Doc. 10638, report of the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs, rapporteur: Mr Goulet).
- Thesaurus
1. The Parliamentary Assembly has already expressed its concern about natural areas which are particularly sensitive or protected, as it did again recently in
Resolution 1444 (2005) on the protection of European deltas,
Recommendation 1630 (2003) on erosion of the Mediterranean coastline: implications for tourism, and
Resolution 1295 (2002) on the state of the environment of the Baltic Sea. It considers that particular attention needs to be given to the Baltic Sea coastline and particularly the Curonian Spit, one of its most vulnerable parts.
2. The Curonian Spit, a narrow coastal strip shared by Lithuania and the Russian Federation (Kaliningrad) and enjoying National Park status in both these countries, has also been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an outstanding natural area since 2000. The discovery of a petroleum deposit (D-6) off the coast, the prospecting activity carried out and the construction and bringing into operation by a Russian company of an oil rig just outside Lithuanian waters have given rise to great anxiety about the preservation of the spit.
3. The Assembly points out that the Baltic Sea, a particularly vulnerable partly land-locked sea, is already at risk from oil drilling in other fields and from the transport of hydrocarbons by sea and that it is vital to take all the necessary steps to prevent any accident which might have severe consequences for the marine and coastal environment. It reiterated this following the disasters of the oil tankers Erika and Prestige and again more recently in
Resolution 1439 (2005) on sea pollution.
4. It emphasises the importance of transfrontier co-operation between the countries directly concerned for the protection of seas and coasts, but also of regional or international co-operation and of the relevant agreements and conventions such as, in the case of the Baltic, the Helsinki Convention, which plays a particularly active role in protecting the marine environment.
5. The Assembly has noted the good operating conditions of the oil rig off the Curonian Spit, its modern technology, its skilled staff and the measures implemented to protect the environment and prevent accidents. It has, however, also noted the increased risk represented by its proximity to the highly vulnerable coasts of the Curonian Spit, the need to reinforce the material and human resources to respond to any accident affecting the coast and the lack of co-ordination of both countries' accident response services, as well as the unresolved issue of compensation in the event of an accident.
6. Should an accident occur, it recommends applying the "polluter pays" principle on the basis of a bilateral agreement on the payment and reimbursement of the clean-up costs incurred and of lost earnings, if applicable within the framework of a general agreement on protection of the Baltic Sea environment and on liability in the event of an accident. It also notes the importance of the transparency of information, the role of the media, the provision of information to the public and the training of the staff concerned.
7. The Assembly welcomes the progress noted in co-operation between the Russian Federation and Lithuania on the protection of the Curonian Spit natural reserve and particularly the agreement concluded on the conduct of an environmental impact assessment of oil exploitation and exploration in the Baltic Sea, which has meant that UNESCO did not have to include the Curonian Spit on its List of World Heritage in Danger.
8. Consequently, the Assembly recommends that Baltic member states develop their co-operation on environmental matters with a view to protecting the Baltic Sea and its coasts both through transfrontier initiatives and through regional co-operation, inter alia, in the framework of the Helsinki Convention and the Council of the Baltic Sea States.
9. In this respect, the Assembly wishes particularly to emphasise the importance that must be attached to the prevention of accidents and ecological disasters, particularly those involving hydrocarbon pollution through:
9.1 the exercise of particular vigilance by the supervisory authorities and local authorities as to the proper operation of oil installations, their regular inspection, the strict application of the regulations and the provision of information to the public about any failure which could potentially jeopardise health or the environment;
9.2 the provision, by the responsible authorities and also by the media, of full and transparent information to the public about the dangers of oil exploitation, the risks of pollution and the way to behave in the event of an accident, especially in the most exposed areas;
9.3 ongoing training for the staff involved both in the extraction, transport and refining of oil and in the emergency accident response services;
9.4 the adoption of response protocols appropriate to emergency situations resulting from oil pollution, giving the responsible local authorities broad scope for action;
9.5 the permanent availability of adequate human and material resources for immediate and co-ordinated action in the event of an emergency;
9.6 transfrontier co-operation agreements on emergency action, providing for the necessary resources and specifying the procedures for intervention and the authorities responsible in the event of an accident.
10. With more particular reference to the Curonian Spit, the Assembly calls on Lithuania and the Russian Federation to continue their co-operation so as to reach an intergovernmental agreement on the fight against pollution of the Baltic Sea by hydrocarbons or other dangerous substances and, in particular, on the question of the evaluation of any environmental damage and the compensation for any oil spill affecting the coast, also taking account, if applicable, of the liability of the oil company exploiting oil field D-6, in accordance with the international regulations in force.
11. To this end, the Assembly invites member states, particularly Lithuania and the Russian Federation, to sign and/or ratify:
11.1 the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea (HNS);
11.2 the Council of Europe Convention on Civil Liability for Damage Resulting from Activities Dangerous to the Environment (CETS No. 150);
11.3 the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law (CETS No. 172).
12. The Assembly particularly invites the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the riparian member states to:
12.1 consider a moratorium on the exploitation of new oil fields or new oil drilling rigs in the Baltic Sea;
12.2 develop a system of oil pipelines enabling movements of hydrocarbons across the Baltic Sea by ship to be restricted;
12.3 consider setting up a guarantee fund for the Baltic Sea to cover the expenses connected with accidental hydrocarbon pollution, into which payments could be made by the riparian states, the oil companies concerned and companies shipping hydrocarbons.
