Seven years after its shipwreck, the Maltese-registered tanker Erika arrives on Monday at a court in Paris for a rather long voyage: a trial that will last around four months in what is France ’s first ever environmental trial, The Malta Independent on Sunday reported.

It could also end up being one of the costliest trials since there are no less than 70 civil parties, around a hundred lawyers, 14 interpreters and 15 people or companies being charged with sea pollution and with having risked the lives of others.
 
The trial will also see the involvement of a couple of the principal actors in the French presidential campaign – Philippe de Villiers is appearing on behalf of the Vendee employees and Segolene Royal on behalf of the region of Poitou-Charantes.

One could also call it the trial of Total, the oil company. The victims of the environmental tragedy are demanding more than e1,000 million in damages. Everyone remembers that Total’s profit for 2005 amounted to e12,000 million. And the 2006 figures are reported to be even better, The Malta Independent added.

Total SA, a French oil company will go on trial for its suspected role in a 1999 oil spill from the ‘Erika’ tanker in December 1999. The Maltese-registered tanker, owned by a unit of the French company, split in two and sunk near the coast of western France , leading to the blackening of the coast in the surrounding area. 19,000 tons of oil poured out from the ship, 400 kilometres of beach were soiled, 150,000 birds died, 250,000 tons of soiled sand picked up.

See also:
Owner of Maltese-registered 'Erika' to go on trial
by Ruth Davies - Feb 5, 2006