Diana sounds note of caution on Arctic in debate on oil drilling (Diana Wallis MEP)

Diana Wallis MEP <info@dianawallismep.org.uk>

Diana sounds note of caution on Arctic in debate on oil drilling

October 15, 2010 2:00 PM

Rig in Arctic waters Diana sounded a note of caution on the Arctic when speaking in the debate on a resolution calling for a temporary ban on new deep-water oil drilling in Europe.

Parliament's environmental committee had earlier proposed the resolution, which called for a halt to all new oil drilling until uniform oil-rig safety standards and procedures were introduced. MEPs did however vote to tighten security restrictions and increase compensation to be paid by companies in the wake of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year.

Diana sounded a note of caution vis a vis the Arctic, a region she has been heavily involved with for many years. That the issue of drilling in the Arctic had not been given proper consideration by the Commission. Speaking in the debate she said:

"Disasters like this should make us think. They make me think about the Arctic, an area where the EU has no direct jurisdiction but much influence.

"Commissioner, you rightly said that EU companies operating outside the EU should export EU standards. I hope that will happen in respect to the Arctic area. It is far more challenging and hostile than the North Sea and to me it is a conundrum. We, as Europe, champion a move from an oil-based economy and we champion renewables. Yet indirectly we are encouraging oil exploitation in the most vulnerable and fragile part of our globe, where the consequences could be horrific. Maybe we should think quite carefully about what happens in the Arctic."

Parliament narrowly voted to reject a non-binding resolution calling for the ban by 323 votes to 285. Although non-binding in nature, the vote in the European Parliament sent an important signal to the European Commission and the subsequent publication on 13 October of a regulatory clampdown on oil drilling did not include a reference to a moratorium rather simply notes that member states should apply a 'precautionary' principle.

An explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on the 20 April caused the death of 11 workers and huge environmental damage to local ecosystems after roughly 200 million gallons of oil flowed into the Gulf. BP eventually managed to block the broken well.