The French EU presidency is this week expected to present a set of new proposals to member states aimed at breaking the deadlock on a set of new rules concerning maritime safety.

The proposed rules, which have been on the table since 2005, concern flag state obligations - the duties of countries to ensure that ships flying their flag meet certain safety standards. They also deal with civil liability, intending to make ship operators fully liable for damage to third parties and putting in place a compulsory insurance scheme to ensure they are able to compensate them in the event of accidents and pollution.

Malta, which has the third largest shipping register in the EU, is one of the member states opposing the new rules and arguing that these issues should first be dealt with by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

Presidency sources said that Malta's opinion is shared by the majority of EU member states.

"Many member states are of the opinion that the rules, as they are, entail too many additional costs for the shipping industry and dramatically increase the administrative burden. The presidency will now 'water down' these rules in order to try to reach a compromise," the sources said.

The French presidency is aiming to get a deal by the next EU Transport Ministers meeting in October.

Last week, the Transport Committee of the European Parliament criticised member states over this dossier and 'deplored' the fact that no progress has been made on these rules since April of last year.

The European Parliament called upon member states to try to hammer out a deal as soon as possible. The Commission proposed the new rules following two serious incidents involving oil tankers which ran aground and damaged long stretches of coastal areas in France and Spain.