The legislative proposal regarding the safety of the offshore oil operations throughout which the Competent Regulatory Authority is established for these operations in the Black Sea was adopted Tuesday by the Senate, writes Agerpres.

The law transposes the EU legislation and regulates the minimum requirements necessary to prevent any major accidents and limiting the consequences of accidents which focuses on oil operations in the responsibility zone of Romania at the Black Sea. According to the proposal, the Competent Regulatory Authority of the Black Sea Offshore Oil Operations will be subordinated to the General Secretariat of the Government.

“Major accidents related to offshore oil operations can have devastating and irreversible consequences upon the marine and costal environment and significant negative effects on coastal economic activities. Because there are significant risks of producing a major accident in offshore oil operations, it is desired to reduce the risk of offshore water pollution, the current law contributes to the protection of the marine environment and to achieving or maintaining of a good environmental status by 2020”, reads the explanatory memorandum of the legislative proposal.

Its initiators argue, in the explanatory memorandum, about the “need for a specific legislation to ensure the reduction of major hazards that are linked to the offshore oil and gas industry, in particular regarding safety of the processes, the safe isolation of hydrocarbons, the structural integrity, the prevention fire and explosion, evacuation, rescue and limiting the environmental impact resulting from a major accident.”