To: Erik Rosag [mailto:erik.rosag@jus.uio.no]

Date: September 19, 2007

From: Marier, François

Subject: Re: Submission from Norway to the HNS-LNG correspondence group

 

Dear Erik:

 

Thank you for your reply to my suggestions and it is unfortunate that indeed you feel you cannot take these recommendations onboard.

 

I would like to begin by going back to Canada's previous two contributions to the Correspondence Group (Aug. 9 and Aug. 17). In both of these instances, we clearly indicated that our preferred option was to make the receiver responsible for paying levies should the titleholder be located in a non-contracting state (your second option in the paper). However, in light of the submissions from other states, we fully realize that this was not the favoured option and it has since been removed from the draft resolution. Furthermore, in our previous correspondence, we also questioned the feasibility and practicality of the first option of requiring financial guarantees. As was indicated in the last contribution by Spain, there is currently a lack of in-depth study on this issue. Unfortunately not all of the players in the LNG trade have commented on this point and neither have the major exporters of LNG, who all supported the establishment of this correspondence group. Thus, we would argue that the proposed Resolution may indeed be premature at this point and it would be best if we were certain that the proposed solution passed a feasibility test from all standpoints.

 

While I can appreciate that you are attempting to find common ground among the various opinions expressed thus far and that the paper does not require co-sponsorship, the proposal I made was simply an attempt to clarify the point that this solution does not have the broad support of the correspondence group.

 

I trust this has clarified our position on this issue. Thank you again for your coordination of the correspondence group.

 

François Marier

Senior Policy Advisor - International Marine Policy (ACFI)

Conseiller en politiques principal - Politique maritime internationale (ACFI)

marierf@tc.gc.ca

Tel: (613) 993-4895 / Fax: (613) 998-1845

Transport Canada, Place de Ville Tower C, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0N5

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada