Offshore Safety Regulations - The European perspective

The thesis consists of two parts which are closely interlinked together. Firstly, there is a description of the successful safety regimes in offshore oil and gas operations in Norway and the UK. These two offshore safety regimes are considered to be world class, since these two countries have been operated in the North Sea for decades. The development of the applicable regulations as well as their characteristic features are being discussed. Secondly and most importantly, these two countries oppose the implementation of a European Regulation which is planned to come into force soon, attempting to establish a unified European regulatory framework for the safety of offshore exploration and production activities. Following the accident in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, the European Union decided to introduce a Regulation for safety offshore, in order to prevent offshore accidents from happening. On the other hand, the arguments of both Norway and the UK explaining their disagreement to this Regulation are being presented. Lastly, there is a short evaluation of the positions of the involved parties with an emphasis to the ulrimate goal, which is a high level of safety in the European waters