Erika trial sparks European debate

The post ‘Erika’ trial was the focus of debate at a meeting, which was part of the Seas and Coastal Areas Intergroup, where European representatives looked at the environmental consequences of the shipwreck, which caused environmental damage to coastal regions of Brittany, France.

Speaking at the meeting on behalf of the Conference Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), Pierre Karleskind said: “With the Erika ruling, regional and local authorities were recognised as victims of environmental damage, and as such were able to obtain compensation. We must now move forward by changing international and European rules along these lines. At the same time, we need to speed up and simplify procedures for compensating victims.”

CPMR says several solutions exist, including a change in the CLC Convention (International Convention on Civil Liability and Oil Pollution Damage), and IOPC Fund schemes (International Compensation Funds).

In addition, CPMR is calling for the introduction of a special international or EU fund and for changes to be made to the European Directive on environmental liability and the convergence of case law and national legislation.