EU proposals ‘threaten’ North?Sea safety

London – ?European Commission proposals for offshore safety regulation are likely to damage, rather than enhance, the safety of UK offshore oil and gas operations, Oil & Gas UK has warned.

Last October, the EC published draft legislative proposals for offshore safety as it believes “the likelihood of a major offshore accident in European waters remains unacceptably high.”

Brussels is seeking to centralise control of offshore health and safety and environmental protection in Europe, instead of the current situation where each national government is responsible for regulating offshore activities in their own waters.

According to industry group, though, the proposals would dismantle the UK’s “world-class” safety regime and replace it with new centralised EU regulation. The draft regulation, it argues, risks causing confusion and lessening the industry’s focus on front-line safety issues by heaping a huge burden on both operators and national regulators.

Of the 27 EU member states, only the UK, The Netherlands and Denmark have significant offshore oil and gas industries. Meanwhile, Norway, as a country within the European Economic Area, would also be subject to this regulation despite having no vote on the matter.

“Transferring legislative competence to a group of countries without any experience in the matter carries a very significant risk for the future of safety in the North Sea,” said Malcolm Webb, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK.

(Full report in March/April edition of Process Engineering magazine)