UK in dissenting role on North Sea agreements

The fall-out from the Brent Spar affair has left the UK with some nasty technical and political problems after North Sea countries agreed at a meeting on 28-29 June to impose a moratorium on the sea disposal of offshore installations. The UK also found itself at odds with its partners in the Oslo and Paris (OSPAR) Commissions over new rules to ban short-chained chlorinated parrafins, and the signs are that it may do so again later this year over restrictions on other hazardous substances.