The issue of the air-gun technique

16.4.2015

Question for written answer E-006078-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Aldo Patriciello (PPE)

Considering:

• — that the ‘air gun’ is a technique that has always been used in the oil industry and whose use has always been questioned by environmental agencies (as well as others), who argue that the technique is harmful (because of noise levels) to the physiology and behaviour of marine fauna;
• — the beaching of large cetaceans in Vasto (in the province of Chieti) last September;
• — that the bill on ‘eco-crimes’ passed in Italy in the past few days includes an article that makes use of the air-gun technique punishable by law, with prison sentences of between one and three years;
• — that banning the air gun will not necessarily protect Italian waters because Croatia, Montenegro and Greece have for some time now had plans to drill in the Adriatic (and Albania is about to do so) and have not banned use of the air gun,

is the Commission going to promote European action to tackle this issue?