# CE2004065EN.01018301.xml

| 13.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 65/183 |
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13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 65/183

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(2004/C 65 E/200)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2643/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject:   Sinking of the Danish cargo ship ‘Karin Cat’ caused by a shift of the cargo

Subject:

| 1. | On 18 February 2003, the Danish cargo ship ‘Karin Cat’, with seven crew members on board, sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the Greek coast. Fortunately, the crew managed to abandon ship before it sank and were picked up by the Malaysian vessel ‘Bunga Pelangi Dua’. The Danish Maritime Authority published a report on the accident on 29 July 2003. Is the Commission aware of this report? |
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1.

On 18 February 2003, the Danish cargo ship ‘Karin Cat’, with seven crew members on board, sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the Greek coast. Fortunately, the crew managed to abandon ship before it sank and were picked up by the Malaysian vessel ‘Bunga Pelangi Dua’. The Danish Maritime Authority published a report on the accident on 29 July 2003. Is the Commission aware of this report?

| 2. | Cargo was loaded onto the ship at a number of ports. One of these ports was Antwerp, where, among other cargo, two 18-metre loading arms and two smaller, 13-metre loading arms were loaded onto the ‘Karin Cat’. The Danish Maritime Authority report states that the securing of the load in the Port of Antwerp was carried out by the crew of the ‘Karin Cat’. Can the Commission confirm this?
  The report goes into the possible causes of the accident in some detail. It states that the shift of the loading arms mentioned above caused a hole in the hull of the ‘Karin Cat’, through which so much water poured into the hull that the ship sank. According to the report, the reason for the shift of the cargo was that it had been insufficiently secured to withstand the movement of the vessel during the prevailing rough sea (see the conclusion on page 20 of the report). |
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2.

Cargo was loaded onto the ship at a number of ports. One of these ports was Antwerp, where, among other cargo, two 18-metre loading arms and two smaller, 13-metre loading arms were loaded onto the ‘Karin Cat’. The Danish Maritime Authority report states that the securing of the load in the Port of Antwerp was carried out by the crew of the ‘Karin Cat’. Can the Commission confirm this?

The report goes into the possible causes of the accident in some detail. It states that the shift of the loading arms mentioned above caused a hole in the hull of the ‘Karin Cat’, through which so much water poured into the hull that the ship sank. According to the report, the reason for the shift of the cargo was that it had been insufficiently secured to withstand the movement of the vessel during the prevailing rough sea (see the conclusion on page 20 of the report).

| 3. | Can the Commission confirm that this conclusion is drawn in the Danish Maritime Authority report? |
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3.

Can the Commission confirm that this conclusion is drawn in the Danish Maritime Authority report?

Answer given by Ms de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(14 October 2003)

(14 October 2003)

The Commission has not received any specific information concerning the sinking of the Danish cargo ship ‘Karin Cat’ on 18 February 2003.

Furthermore, it is not for the Commission to comment on the conclusions of the post-accident technical investigation conducted by the Danish authorities. This type of investigation is a matter for the national authorities responsible for determining the exact circumstances of accidents, in order where necessary to formulate proposals for amending the regulations.

In this regard, Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency (1) stipulates that one of the tasks of that body is to facilitate cooperation between the Member States in the development of a common methodology for investigating accidents and to support national authorities responsible for serious accident investigations.

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(1)  OJ L 208, 5.8.2002.

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