Project 2: Supervision of the integrity of oil wells

Description:
In co-operation with the ‘Regulatory Burden’ department of the Dutch Ministry of Finance and the State Supervision of Mines, EURinSPECT is conducting a project covering issues such as how to design supervision of the integrity of oil and /or gas  wells (IoW) in ways that reduce administrative costs, supervisory costs and compliance and friction costs in the European context. To that end, the following questions are under study:
•    Whether a supervisory method for IoW developed elsewhere (in Norway) can be applied,
•    The extent to which IoW will generate administrative and other costs if policy remains unchanged, and whether these costs could be reduced through cooperation and coordination between inspectorates in the relevant Member States
•    Can the Norwegian method and techniques for supervision of IoW be applied effectively in the inspectorates of other EU Member States, and which adjustments are required for effective application of this method in the relevant Member States?
•    Can the outcomes of the study be transferred within the EU through knowledge valorisation and diffusion in a way that creates partnerships between supervisory authorities, if possible at the EU level?
•    Can this effectively secure the envisaged reduction in costs and the envisaged valorisation and diffusion?

The objectives of the project include identification of, and (provision for) addressing:
•    Unwanted differences in the approach to companies between inspectorates in the Member States
•    Unintended differences between national rules and procedures in the Member States,
•    European rules obstructing co-ordination between inspectorates
•    Unco-ordinated policy between inspectorates in the Netherlands and Norway and other inspectorates involved
•    Unutilised possibilities for inspectorates to accept supervision and adopt supervisory practices from each other
•    More opportunities to develop supervisory specialisms in EU Member States, and to share these
•    More opportunities for risk-based supervision rather than rule-based supervision,
•    More deregulation, if possible based on accepted practices and common agreements on codes of conduct
•    Other possibilities to reduce administrative and supervisory costs in Europe and in the Member States

With the outcomes of this project, EURinSPECT will contribute towards:
•    The creation of a forum and platform for the exchange of knowledge on supervision and inspection in Europe
•    A level playing field in Europe
•    Exchange of best practices between inspectorates and supervisory authorities
•    Reduction in administrative and supervisory costs for businesses
•    Strengthening of risk-based supervision and deregulation.
•    Streamlining of supervision with the EU
•    Co-ordination of processes and information flows between Member States and at the EU level.

PROJECT 3 >>>