EU considers banning uninsured ships

An EU official has said that the EU is considering banning any ship that does not have recognised third party liability insurance from EU ports. Christos Economou, head of the maritime transport and safety unit in the energy and transport directorate at the EU, told the International Union of Marine Insurers conference that about 5% of the world merchant fleet was thought to lack recognised third party liability protection. He said that the directorate was concerned over this 5% because it represented a real threat to the environment.