7.3.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L 64/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) REGULATION (EC) No 417/2002 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 18 February 2002 on the accelerated phasing-in of double hull or equivalent design requirements for single hull oil tankers and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 2978/94 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 80(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: (1)  Within the framework of the common transport policy, further measures must be taken to enhance safety and prevent pollution in maritime transport. (20  The Community is seriously concerned by the shipping accidents involving oil tankers and the associated pollu- tion of its coast-lines and harm to its fauna and flora and other marine resources. (3)  In its communication ‘a common policy on safe seas’, the Commission underlined the request of the extraor- dinary Council on Environment and Transport of 25 January 1993 to support the action in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on the reduction of the safety gap between new and existing ships by upgrading andfor phasing out existing ships. (4 In its Resolution on a common policy on safe seas (°), the European Parliament welcomed the Commission communication and called in particular for action to be taken to improve tanker safety standards. () O] C 212 E, 25.7.2000, p. 121 and O] C 154 E, 29.5.2001, p. 41. () O] C 14, 16.1.2001, p. 22. () O] C 22, 24.1.2001, p. 19. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 30 November 2000 (O] C 228, 13.8.2001, p. 140), Council Common Position of 7 August 2001 (O] C 307, 31.10.2001, p. 41) and Decision of the European Parliament of 13 December 2001. () O] C 91, 28.3.1994, p. 301. (5) By its Resolution of 8 June 1993 on a common policy on safe seas (%), the Council fully supported the objec- tives of the Commission communication. (6)  In its Resolution on the oil slick off the French coast adopted on 20 January 2000, the European Parliament welcomed any efforts by the Commission to bring forward the date by which oil tankers will be obliged to have a double-hull construction. (7 The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has established, in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 and the Protocol of 1978 related thereto (MARPOL 73/78), internationally agreed pollution prevention rules affecting the design and operation of oil tankers. Member States are Parties to MARPOL 73/78. (8)  According to Article 3.3 of MARPOL 73|78, that Convention does not apply to warships, naval auxiliary or other ships owned or operated by a State and used only for government non-commercial services. (99  Comparison of tanker age and accident statistics shows increasing accident rates for older ships. It has been internationally agreed that the adoption of the 1992 amendments to MARPOL 73/78 requiring the applica- tion of the double hull or equivalent design standards to existing single hull oil tankers when they reach a certain age will provide those tankers with a higher degree of protection against accidental oil pollution in the event of collision or stranding. (10) It is in the Community's interest to adopt measures to ensure that oil tankers entering into ports and offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of Member States and that oil tankers flying the flags of Member States comply with Regulation 13G of Annex I of MARPOL 73/78 as revised in 2001 by Resolution MEPC 95(46) in order to reduce the risk of accidental oil pollution in European waters. () O] C 271, 7.10.1993, p. 1.