Decision ID: 001095

In February 2000 the 1992 Fund Executive Committee agreed that the Fund should accept a request by Total Fina SA (Total) to nominate an expert to join a group of experts to advise the French Government and Total on the technical merits of operations which Total had agreed to undertake to inspect the two parts of the wreck and to prevent further oil from escaping, including the removal of the oil. The Committee also agreed that the Fund’s expert would act solely as an adviser in his personal capacity and that he would not in any way engage or commit the Fund. It was emphasised that Total’s claim for the costs incurred in the removal of the oil from the wreck or to prevent further pollution would be assessed as any other claim, ie on the basis of the criteria of the technical reasonableness of the operations.