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" Serving the world...
...from Malta "
Weather in Malta
scattered clouds
New York
Malta
Shanghai
" Serving the world...
...from Malta "
" Serving the world...
...from Malta "
Malta's Name Cleared in French Ruling on Erika Case
14 / 12 / 04
A court decision by the Paris appeal court cleared Malta from any offense and saved the island from a potential liability of one billion euros in damages. The Erika sank off France in December 1999 and as a consequence caused extensive pollution off the French coast.
The Malta Maritime Authority’s chairman and the executive director were wrongly served with papers charging them for being responsible for the incident. They had launched an appeal on the issue of sovereignty with the French Court of Appeal. In June 2004 the French Court of Appeal ruled that there was no case against Malta as the MMA is an extension of the Maltese state, so the Administration of the Malta Flag is covered by state’s immunity of jurisdiction. However, the French state appealed and now the French Supreme Court upheld the original ruling.
Dr Marc Bonello, MMA’s chairman welcomed this news and was reported as saying that: "it appeared that the French public actually felt we did not care as the pollution did not effect us here... Of course, this is absolutely untrue. We were very aware of the concerns; after all we have a very vulnerable coastline ourselves." He also considers the fact that criticism may originate from "a hidden desire of other member states to win back tonnage which is currently under our flag but which is beneficiary-owned by EU nationals".
Malta's Name Cleared in French Ruling on Erika Case
14 / 12 / 04
A court decision by the Paris appeal court cleared Malta from any offense and saved the island from a potential liability of one billion euros in damages. The Erika sank off France in December 1999 and as a consequence caused extensive pollution off the French coast.
The Malta Maritime Authority’s chairman and the executive director were wrongly served with papers charging them for being responsible for the incident. They had launched an appeal on the issue of sovereignty with the French Court of Appeal. In June 2004 the French Court of Appeal ruled that there was no case against Malta as the MMA is an extension of the Maltese state, so the Administration of the Malta Flag is covered by state’s immunity of jurisdiction. However, the French state appealed and now the French Supreme Court upheld the original ruling.
Dr Marc Bonello, MMA’s chairman welcomed this news and was reported as saying that: "it appeared that the French public actually felt we did not care as the pollution did not effect us here... Of course, this is absolutely untrue. We were very aware of the concerns; after all we have a very vulnerable coastline ourselves." He also considers the fact that criticism may originate from "a hidden desire of other member states to win back tonnage which is currently under our flag but which is beneficiary-owned by EU nationals".
