Why it is now up to the Maltese government to heed Brussels's drilling moratorium

It is entirely up to Malta to heed the European Commission's call for a voluntary suspension of new permits for oil drilling, but Malta's precarious condition in the face of a potential spill "should get the alarm bells of Maltese authorities ringing", Commission sources have told MaltaToday when asked of whether the optional moratorium proposed by Brussels would have any impact on Malta's oil exploration operations.

The sources were being quizzed on how oil spills, now that BP is drilling south of Malta for Libya, could threaten Malta's precarious condition as a country dependent on desalinated sea water for its drinking water supply.

But the same sources confirmed that Malta is completely free to continue oil exploration activities and to issue new permits for drilling.

In an official communication issued today the European Commission "called upon the member states to review all complex oil or gas exploration operations."

While stating that "any decision to suspend offshore drilling is left to the discretion of member states" the commission "reiterated its call upon the Member states to rigorously apply a precautionary approach in the licensing of new complex oil or gas exploration operations and to examine whether a suspension of such licensing is needed until the European offshore regimes have been assessed in light of the Deepwater Horizon incident."

Commission sources also confirmed that the EU has no legal power to ensure that oil drilling operations in Libya conform to the proposed European standards.

But they confirmed that is it in the EU's interest to adopt a high level of standards in these countries and this is being achieved through dialogue with these countries. In his press briefing EU commissioner Gunther Oettering referred to a commitment by BP to apply the same standards applied in the North Sea to its operations in Libya.