Plaid Cymru the Party of Wales Euro MP Jill Evans has welcomed proposals to adopt tough new rules that will make companies liable for the costs of remedying any environmental damage they cause.

The proposal - based on the principal that 'the polluter pays', was endorsed by MEPs in a vote today (Wednesday) at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

In what is seen as a victory for the Green/EFA group in overturning several proposals that did not go far enough in addressing the problem of environmental liability, the scope of the Directive was extended to include marine pollution. Had the Green/EFA amendment not been accepted by the Parliament, this would have meant that in cases such as the Sea Empress disaster (when more than 72,000 tonnes of oil was spilled into the sea off Pembrokeshire in 1996), the polluter would still not have been compelled to rectify the environmental damage caused.

Speaking from Strasbourg the all-Wales MEP said:

"For far too long, many of those responsible for causing terrible environmental damage have been able to evade having to put right the consequences of their negligence. These tough new rules will ensure that in many cases the polluter is made to pay for rectifying the results of their actions so that an unfair burden isn't put on the public purse.

“These proposals will help ensure that the rich biodiversity and fragile environment of countries like Wales are preserved and where necessary restored in the event of pollution and negligent environmental damage.

“I am particularly pleased that our amendment to extend the scope of the Directive was adopted. At present, maritime disasters such as the Sea Empress, Braer and Prestige oil tanker catastrophes are not covered. But our amendment means that marine pollution will be included, and that polluters will finally have to pay the costs of cleaning up damage such as oil spills washing up on beaches. This was something that urgently needed to be reviewed on a European level, and I welcome the fact that polluters and not taxpayers will have to pay for rectifying such damage.

“In implementing these new regulations member states will need to be sensitive to the situation of SMEs and the farming industry. We must ensure that fragile industries are not unduly targeted but that large wealthy companies who pollute and damage our natural environment are quite rightly made to bear the costs of its repair and restoration."

Diwedd/Ends.