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Burst oil tanker "Prestige": Insurer is liable
Photo: Navy / EFE / picture alliance / dpa
Spain is one step further in the fight for compensation after the sinking of the oil tanker "Prestige" off its coast in 2002.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg ruled that British confirmation of an arbitral award could not block the enforcement order from Spain.
A Spanish court ordered the insurer to pay damages in 2016.
In November 2002, around 63,000 tons of heavy fuel oil escaped from the damaged tanker and polluted the coasts of Spain, France and Portugal over a length of 1700 kilometers.
In 2016, a Spanish court sentenced the captain to two years in prison.
At the same time, the court found that the owner and his ship's insurance company were jointly liable.
However, the insurer, the London Steam-Ship Owners' Mutual Insurance Association, had not recognized the judgment and referred to an arbitration award in London, according to which the owner should primarily pay for the damage.
In addition, liability is limited to one billion dollars.
The British court finally submitted various questions to the ECJ.
He now explained that the recognition of the arbitral award could not be held against the Spanish judgment.
Based on the decision, the British court must now reassess the case and then decide.
Case number: C-700/20
mike/AFP