The stricken cruise ship dominated last week's headlines and many blamed the accident on the captain's reckless behaviour. But is it really that simple?

The News: Costa Concordia spurs maritime safety rethink

The cruise ship Costa Concordia  dominated last week's headlines.

Early explanations pointed to reckless  behaviour by the captain.

Early on some argued that it was human  error and nothing can be learnt from it.

The EP's Transport Committee met with  the Transport Commissioner to find out.

Siim Kallas' headline news was that experts  of the European Maritime Safety Agency

had arrived and were preparing  to pump off the fuel inside the liner.

Deputies declared it was too early  for them to act.

Before we take any initiative as legislators

we have to wait for the results  of the inquest.

The cruise industry is big business,  worth over €35 billion in 2010,

with 90% of cruise ships  being built in European shipyards.

All our members will conduct  internal reviews

of their safety practices  and operational procedures.

But what about compensation  for the victims?

Here, tragedy seems  to collide with irony:

An international convention on passenger  rights exists but has not been fully ratified.

The EU passenger rights regulation  only comes into effect next year.

As for maritime safety, most members think  there's plenty of room for Europe yet.

We must see to it that Member States  stop bungling about individually,

and for that we have EMSA,  thank goodness.

I think it's outrageous that the agency  is gracefully allowed to pump off the oil

but is not included in the process  of accident inquiry.

and maybe this accident is  a good occasion to reflect on that.