| To protect its rights in the event the courts find one or more third parties responsible for the sinking of the oil tanker Erika on December 12, 1999, TotalFinaElf has instituted legal proceedings in the Rennes Business Court.
The respondents in the proceedings are Tevere Shipping, Erika’s owner; Steamship P&I, Tevere Shipping’s insurer; Panship, responsible for technical management of the vessel; RINA, the Italian ship classification society; Registro Italiano, which certified the vessel for the Maltese government; and the IOPC Funds.
TotalFinaElf has tangibly demonstrated its commitment to alleviating the consequences of the oil spill, working with the public authorities, local communities, volunteers and victims. To date, TotalFinaElf has spent €180 million (FRF 1.2 billion), notably to clean up the coastline, pump the fuel from the Erika and treat the collected waste.
Although these proceedings have been instituted, TotalFinaElf fully agrees with the principle that priority in the IOPC Funds compensation process goes to individuals, businesses, local communities and the French State. |
