EU energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger has indicated that member states should stop giving out fresh permits for deep-water oil drilling in the light of the BP oil catastrophe.
"I am considering discussing this with member states, so that when new permits are issued, especially in extreme cases, they will consider deferring this," he told MEPs at a debate in Strasbourg on Wednesday (8 July).
"I am actually considering suggesting a moratorium at this moment ... And I think it is ...
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.