Case 1 Massive pollution feared as oil spill tanker Prestige sinks off spain There is a"serious chance that the portuguese coast will be affected by the oil spill, said Louro Alves, head official at Portugal's northernmost port of Viana do Castelo. Patrice Castaing, professor of marine geology at Bordeaux university, said the extent of any pollution will depend on the current from Portugal that usually flows along the coast from the start of December". At the very least. Castaing said. we will have some oil patches on the beaches". The European Commission, meanwhile called on EU states to "urgently" implement EU-wide rules on maritime safety transport commissioner loyola de palacio has reminded European governments of Eu rules that were established in the wake of the last such disaster in Europe, when the Erika oil tanker went down off the french coast in 1999Case 1 Massive pollution feared as oil spill tanker Prestige sinks off Spain • There is a "serious chance that the Portuguese coast will be affected by the oil spill," said Louro Alves, head official at Portugal's northernmost port of Viana do Castelo. Patrice Castaing, professor of marine geology at Bordeaux University, said the extent of any pollution "will depend on the current from Portugal that usually flows along the coast from the start of December". At the very least, Castaing said, "we will have some oil patches on the beaches". The European Commission, meanwhile, called on EU states to "urgently" implement EU-wide rules on maritime safety. Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio has reminded European governments of EU rules that were established in the wake of the last such disaster in Europe, when the Erika oil tanker went down off the French coast in 1999