The government has approved a draft Act under which Estonia will accede to the international protocols concerning civil liability and compensation for oil pollution damage Pursuant to the draft Act, the Republic of Estonia will accede to the protocols of 1992 amending the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (1969) and the International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage (1971). Accession to the 1992 protocols will give Estonia the right to receive compensation in the case of damage related to oil pollution. The range of persons entitled to receive compensation will include all persons located in the territory of a party to the convention who have sustained losses due to oil pollution as well as persons implementing preventive measures (lifting up the shipwreck, pumping out oil products from the shipwreck, ensuring the availability of means of pollution abatement and preparedness of ships for elimination of pollution, etc). The protocol amending the 1971 Convention on the establishment of a fund increases the total sum of compensation paid for pollution damage and sets out the maximum sum of compensation. According to the draft Act, the data of persons liable to receive compensation will be submitted to the International Fund for Compensation of Oil Pollution Damage by the Ministry of the Environment. Supervision over the use of compensation will be carried out by the Environmental Inspectorate. The existence of a required insurance certificate or any other type of guarantee on ships entering or leaving a port and on ships entering and leaving terminals in territorial sea will be checked by the Maritime Administration. The protocols will become applicable to Estonia when twelve months have passed since the date the accession instrument was deposited with the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The precise title of the draft Act approved at a session of the Government of the Republic is "Accession to the Protocols of 1992 Amending the 1969 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage and the 1971 International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage Act". Further information: |
