Today, Prime Minister Calin Popescu - Tariceanu has requested the officials of the involved Ministries to support, through technical assistance, the efforts of the authorities from the Danube riverside counties to block the advance of the oil slick and prevent its expansion.

Today, Prime Minister has attended the videoconference with prefects from Danube riverside counties, summoned at Victoria Palace .

“I request you to make an evaluation to see the means the local authorities need”, the Head of the Executive has stated, adding that the Inspectorate for Emergencies, the Ministry of Administration and Interior and the Ministry of Transports should participate in these actions.

Prime Minister has also added that if products from state reserves are needed, the local authorities should announce the Government to make them available.

Prime Minister Calin Popescu – Tariceanu has requested the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Sulfina Barbu to announce her Serbian counterpart that Romania can provide the necessary technical assistance to limit the pollution's effects. He has appreciated that the Romanian authorities have precisely acted so far and further actions should be taken in this respect.

“The Minister of Environment has informed me that the antipollution ship is already functioning, there have been built dams across certain areas of Danube . I believe that actions have to continue in the same way. Successive dams should be built in order to allow us take further action. The ship from Galati area is prepared to intervene, if this slick expands downstream”, Prime Minister has stated.

On today's Government meeting, the Head of the Executive has showed that there has been analyzed the Danube 's oil pollution from the Prahovo Oil depot and there have been set tasks. “We are very worried about the effects this pollution might produce, especially if this slick reaches Danube Delta” Prime Minister has stated, asking the Serbian authorities, through Serbia 's Ambassador to Bucharest , to take all measures to limit the pollution effects and he has stated that Romania is ready to provide the necessary support if this is requested.

“I urged Serbia 's Ambassador to immediately request the Serbian authorities to take all measures required by a good cooperation relation. I have explained them that if Serbia has objectives relative to EU accession, it should behave as a European state. The primary obligations consist of informing and acting to limit the effects and if necessary, to ask us for assistance, because we are ready to make all our means available to them”, Prime Minister has added.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Calin Popescu – Tariceanu has requested the Serbian authorities to provide information about the oil products nature, given that the prevention action depends to a large extent on the type of oil product.

“We are not sufficiently pleased with the way the technical problem was solved, since it is a provisional solution. I asked a serious and definitive solution to be adopted”, Prime Minister Tariceanu has stated, stating that Serbia's Ambassador assured him that all necessary attention would be paid to this problem.

Government of Romania - Press office - 04.10.2006

Videoconference on Danube 's pollution with oil

Prime Minister's participation in the videoconference on Danube 's pollution by oil substances

Ministers,
Prefects and deputy prefects,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Our subject for discussion is Danube 's current pollution by oily substances. Today, the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Sulfina Barbu is paying a visit to that area in order to make an evaluation on the spot. I approached this subject on the Government meeting too and we set certain tasks. The presentation was made by the Secretary of State Mrs. Lucia Varga .

I would like to inform you that this afternoon; I had a meeting with Serbia's Ambassador to Romania, as we are very worried about the effects this pollution might had on the Romanian bank of Danube, in the areas where there are water supplies, in the water sources for the treatment stations.

If this pollution is not controlled, we will face further effects later on, when the oily substances reach Danube Delta.

Minister Sulfina Barbu has informed me about the situation on the spot and the measures which have been undertaken so far. I can tell you that I urged Serbia 's Ambassador to immediately request the Serbian authorities to take all measures required by the good cooperation relation. I have explained them that if Serbia has objectives relative to EU accession, it should behave as a European state. The primary obligations consist of informing and acting to limit the effects and if necessary, to ask us for assistance, because we are ready to make all our means available to them.

At the same time, I have requested Serbia 's Ambassador to provide information about the nature of the oily substances, since the Romanian authorities did not have information about the nature of these substances. The preventive action depends to a large extent on the type of oily substance.

Yesterday, the Romanian authorities visited the Yugoslavian bank of Danube ; there had been taken measures to prevent the oil slick expansion.  However, we are not sufficiently pleased with the way the technical problem was solved, since it is a provisional solution. I asked a serious and definitive solution to be adopted. I can tell you that pledges were made to pay full attention to such a problem, taking into account the seriousness of this situation.

I believe precise action has been taken so far. The Minister of Environment has also informed me that the antipollution ship is already functioning, there have been built dams across certain areas of Danube . I believe that actions have to continue in the same way. Successive dams should be built in order to allow us to take further action. The ship from Galati area is ready to intervene, if this slick expands downstream.

I would like to know if today, the Romanian authorities contacted the Serbian party, and also about the measures which have been taken at the level of the affected counties as well as the measures envisaged to be further taken. I have noticed the presence of Mr. Mihailovici , Director to the National Administration “Romanian Waters”, institution that plays an important role in this action. I see we also have the weather forecast given by the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology.

Government of Romania - Press office - 04.10.2006