European citizens have been affected by major oil spills on a regular basis. Tankers such as the Torrey Canyon, Amoco Cadiz, Haven, Sea Empress, Erika and Prestige, to name just a few, have marked the public conscious. The raised awareness of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of oil spills has been one of the driving forces in the evolution of preparedness and response structures in Member States and industry. Contingencies for ship-sourced pollution should be ready and able to mitigate the potential damage. Regulation 724/2004 amended the legal basis of the Agency, tasking EMSA to: