Motion for a resolution | Doc. 12092 | 27 November 2009

The environmental impact of sunken shipwrecks

Signatories: Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Remigijus AČAS, Lithuania, EDG ; Mr Ruhi AÇIKGÖZ, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Pedro AZPIAZU, Spain, ALDE ; Mr Per DALGAARD, Denmark, EDG ; Mr Hubert DEITTERT, Germany ; Mr Jean-Claude FRÉCON, France, SOC ; Ms Francine JOHN-CALAME, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Haluk KOÇ, Turkey, SOC ; Mr Juha KORKEAOJA, Finland, ALDE ; Mr Dariusz LIPIŃSKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Yevhen MARMAZOV, Ukraine, UEL ; Mr Yevhen MARMAZOV, Ukraine, UEL ; Mr José MENDES BOTA, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Edward O'HARA, United Kingdom ; Mr Ivan POPESCU, Ukraine, SOC ; Mr John PRESCOTT, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Teresa RODRÍGUEZ BARAHONA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Mustafa ÜNAL, Turkey, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Assembly is concerned that recent evidence has revealed that over 8,500 shipwrecks remain sunk in marine waters around the world, including more than 1,500 tanker vessels weighing in excess of 150 gross tons. Wrecks which, it has been established, are likely to contain as much as 20 million tons (140 million barrels) of oil and other hazardous materials. In addition, sporadic or continuous leakages from those wrecks, 75% of which date from the two World Wars, pose a continual risk across the globe.

The Assembly invites the Council of Europe member states and non member states concerned to work together to find technically viable solutions to the problem posed to the environment by the threat of sunken shipwrecks.