2007 law, committed companies that were potentially wasting to contract an accident insurance. Following the principle who pollutes, after has to pay. The insurance price depends on damage that the company can provoke enrivonmentally. Under this law, 320.000 operators were obligatory to have an accident insurance. The Agriculture, Food, and Environment Minister amendment, reduces 98% the quantity of companies that are compulsory. Now only 5470 companies have this mandatory.
The previous law, didn´t reach the real application, because deadlines were postponed. Now companies with law potential environmental damage and low accidental rate, are exempted. This is not the situation of cement manufactures, big chemical factories, energy producers, and so on, “green insurance” will continue being compulsory. Approximately, this law excuses 315.000 activities.
New law promulgates willfulness in hiring and also it reduces the activities that are contracting compulsory. Now operators analyze the risk of its management and establish the quantity of the warranty. (It is not the Administration who charges company responsibilities).
Measures have been criticized, Mario Rodriguez, Spain Greenpeace Director, thinks that who pollutes, has to pay, is not working. The principle is being distorted because it used to be compulsory and now it is willful. Insurances guaranteed solution when damaged unfortunately happened. Experience says without insurance, nobody cares.
In 2007, this law trasplanted a European guideline, where Members were allowed to decide themselves about the compulsory of the warranty. Spain exceed because the measure was too strict. Now, Minister tries to reduce the requirement only in the companies that can potentially damage really. Companies will be interested in being protect from futures cost of damages. Although it is a willful measure, Administration can check up.
Source: ElPaís