to explore locations off the main motorways

27. Notes the increased activity surrounding the exploration of oil and gas fields in the Mediterranean and the Arctic; believes that the EU should promote the development of an international legal framework for the protection of the High Arctic, on lines similar to those already established for the Antarctic in the Antarctic Treaty and the Protocol on Environmental Protection; considers that for other parts of the Arctic which fall within the exclusive economic zones of EU Member States or EEA countries, there is an urgent need for the proposed regulation on the safety of offshore oil and gas to include drilling requirements which ensure that remote area ...[+++]s are not exposed to a higher risk than other areas and that extreme operating conditions, such as long-lasting darkness, icy conditions or deep water, are accurately reflected in the authorisation process;

It is an area of consideration that the Member States and the Commission should explore. If the issue of overcrowding in the Channel and the North Sea is not dealt with, this zone will inevitably become a highway for marine pollution and a permanent threat to the safety of our seamen, the beauty of our coasts and the quality of our marine resources.