§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effect of Regulation (EC) 417/2002 (OJ L64, 7/3/02), on the sales of oil tankers from the EU fleet to countries not covered by the regulation; and if he will make a statement. [57908]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe sale of oil tankers is a matter for the buyer and seller within the relevant regulatory framework.
Last year the International Maritime Organization (IMO) agreed to accelerate the phasing in of double hull tankers so that by 2017 single hull tankers will no longer be in service anywhere in the world. Under the IMO agreement states may bring this deadline forward slightly and EU member states have chosen this option. Regulation 417/2002 provides that the final deadline by which a vessel flying an EU flag or using an EU port must be fitted with a double hull is 2015 rather than 2017.