The European Parliament and Council agree to ban the marketing and use of two flame-retardant chemicals, pentaBDE and octaBDE

The EU Parliament voted on Dec. 18, 2002 to endorse new legislation that will ban two chemicals which are currently used widely to fire-proof furniture, upholstery and electrical appliances, but which have been found to harm human health and the environment.

The provisions of the new directive were agreed in conciliation negotiations between Parliament and Council after Parliament held out at second reading to extend the ban on the flame-retardant chemical pentaBDE which was originally proposed by the Commission to cover the related substance octaBDE and to restrict the use of decaBDE.

As well as securing the ban on octaBDE - used in the manufacture of office equipment and domestic electrical appliances - it succeeded in inserting a reference in the new directive to the need to address any risks identified for decaBDE as soon as the results of a risk reduction strategy are available next year.

The EU Commission announces measures to tighten European maritime safety rules

The Commission of the European Communities revealed an official document to tighten European maritime safety rules, in light of the Prestige oil tanker disaster of 19 November.

The Commission revealed a blacklist of 66 ships that would be banned from EU waters had the Erika packages already entered into force, and called on the Member States to speed up the implementation of the Erika I and II packages.

It also urges them to implement legislation currently in force requiring the inspection of at least 25 percent of ships calling at European ports.

The Commission also proposed a number of new legislative measures, including a regulation to ban the carriage of heavy fuel oil in single-hull oil tankers. Other proposed legislation is to deal with the criminal liability for maritime pollution caused by negligence and illegal discharges.