A4-0074/99

Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision amending Decision No 1692/96/EC as regards seaports, inland ports and intermodal terminals as well as project No 8 in Annex III (COM(97)0681 - C4-0151/98 - 97/0358(COD))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital 7

>Original text>

(7) Whereas, in accordance with the Commission's intention to promote the rapid creation of a number of 'Trans-European Rail Freight Freeways` outlined in its Communication of 29 May 1997(2), the identification of terminals/transhipment areas should be coordinated with the development of cross-border, open-access rail freight corridors;

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(2) COM(97)0242.

>Text following EP vote>

(7) Whereas, since Article 21 of Decision No 1692/96/EC provides for a continuous review and updating of the TEN guidelines every five years, the Commission will submit in 1999 a report on the existing TEN guidelines, followed promptly by suitable legislative proposals where appropriate; whereas the idea of a White Paper on this subject must be rejected; whereas the strategic environmental impact assessment referred to in Article 8(2) of Decision No 1692/96/EC should incorporate ports and intermodal terminals;

(Amendment 2)

ARTICLE 1(1)

Article 10(4), new indent (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

1. In article 10(4), the following indent is added:

'- contribute to the further development of new railway services in particular on the basis of 'Trans-European Rail Freight Freeways¨, which are cross-border, open-access rail freight corridors.'

>Text following EP vote>

Deleted

(Amendment 3)

ARTICLE 1(2)(b)

Article 11(3a) (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

3a. The inland ports included in the network shall be:

>Text following EP vote>

3a.

The inland ports included in the network shall:

>Original text>

(a) open to all commercial traffic,

>Text following EP vote>

(a) be open to all commercial traffic,

>Original text>

(b) located on the network of inland waterways as shown in the outline plan in Section 4 of Annex I,

>Text following EP vote>

(b) be located on the network of inland waterways as shown in the outline plan in Section 4 of Annex I,

>Original text>

(c) interconnected with other trans-European transport routes as shown in Annex I,

>Text following EP vote>

(c) be interconnected with other trans-European transport routes as shown in Annex I,

>Original text>

(d) equipped with transhipment installations for intermodal transport.

>Text following EP vote>

(ca) have a total annual traffic volume of at least 500 000 tonnes of freight, or

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(d) be equipped with transhipment installations for intermodal transport.

(Amendment 4)

ARTICLE 1(3)

Article 12(2) (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

2. The seaports included in the network shall fulfil the following criteria:

>Text following EP vote>

2.

The seaports included in the network shall fulfil the following criteria:

>Original text>

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(-a)

they provide connections with other trans-European transport routes in Annex I and

>Original text>

(a) total annual traffic volume is no less than 1 million tonnes freight, or

(b) total annual traffic volume is no less than 200 000 international passengers (trips between ports in two different countries).

In the case of islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas, the minimum required volume of passenger traffic may also include domestic traffic, providing the distance between the ports is greater than 5 km; or

>Text following EP vote>

(a)

total annual traffic volume is no less than 1.5 million tonnes freight, or

(b) total annual traffic volume is no less than 200 000 international passengers (trips between ports in two different countries).

>Original text>

(c) they provide connections between land links of the trans-European network, thereby ensuring the territorial continuity of the Community.

>Text following EP vote>

(

ba) in the case of islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas and the outermost regions as referred to in Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty (consolidated version) the total annual traffic volume must be no less than 1.5 million tonnes freight or 200 000 passengers; the figure for passenger traffic also includes domestic traffic, provided the distance between the ports is greater than 5 km.

(Amendment 5)

ARTICLE 1(4)(a)

Article 14(1) (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

(a) in paragraph 1, the second indent is replaced by the following text:

>Text following EP vote>

(a)

in paragraph 1, the first and second indents are replaced by the following text:

- railways and inland waterways which are suitable for combined transport and shipping which, combined where appropriate with the shortest possible initial and/or terminal road haulage, permit the long-distance transport of goods;

>Original text>

- terminals which provide installations for intermodal transhipment from railways to inland waterways and roads and which are identified in the outline plans in Annex I;

>Text following EP vote>

- terminals which provide installations for intermodal transhipment from railways to inland waterways, roads and shipping and which are identified in the outline plans in the Annex. Intermodal transport, within the meaning of this Decision, is understood as combined unitised transport (trailers and swap bodies);

(Amendment 6)

ANNEX (1)(ca) (new)

Annex I, Section 7 (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(ca) In Section 7:

(i) inclusion of the Elbe-Lübeck canal and the Twente Mittelland canal on the map of the outline plan for combined transport - inland waterways and inland ports (7.2);

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(ii) special indication on the map of those inland ports which also perform a seaborne role in the outline plan for combined transport - inland waterways and inland ports (7.2);

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

(iii) special indication on the map of those inland ports which are not intermodal but which have an annual volume of freight transhipment in excess of 500 000 tonnes.

(Amendment 7)

ANNEX (2)(a)

Annex II, Section 3, 3rd indent (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

(a) In Section 3, the following third indent is added:

'- new railway services to be developed in particular on the basis of 'Trans-European Rail Freight Freeways¨.'

>Text following EP vote>

Deleted

(Amendment 8)

ANNEX (2)(b)

Annex II, Section 4, 1st part (3) and (4) (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

3. other transport infrastructure inside the port area;

4. other transport infrastructures linking the port to other elements of the trans-European network.

>Text following EP vote>

3. land infrastructure linking the port to the various parts of the trans-European transport network.

Port infrastructure inside a port area comprises the construction and maintenance of all elements of the transport system open to all transport users within the port and of links with the national and international transport network; in particular, it includes the development and maintenance of land for commercial and other port-related purposes, the construction and maintenance of road and rail connections, the construction and maintenance, including dredging, of access routes and of other areas of water in the port, the construction and maintenance of navigation aids and traffic management, communication and information systems and the construction and maintenance of installations for the collection of waste and of used bunker oil.

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

Enterprise-related port superstructure investments and operating aids for this purpose are not eligible for Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks. As an exceptional measure, port superstructure activities may be supported by the Cohesion or Structural Funds in eligible regions, provided this does not impair fair competition between and within the inland ports of the Community.

(Amendment 9)

ANNEX (2)(c)(i)

Annex II, Section 5(2) (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

'2. Categories of port and port-related projects of common interest

Port and port-related infrastructure projects should come under one or more of the following categories:

>Text following EP vote>

2.

Categories of port and port-related projects of common interest

Infrastructure projects in or in connection with ports should come under one or more of the following categories:

>Original text>

A. access to the port from the sea or inland waterways, including capital costs for ice-breaking works during winter;

>Text following EP vote>

A.

access to the port from the sea or inland waterways, including capital costs for ice-breaking works during winter;

>Original text>

B. infrastructure inside the port area;

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B.

infrastructure inside the port

>Original text>

C. inland transport infrastructure linking the port to other elements of the trans-European transport network.

>Text following EP vote>

C.

inland transport infrastructure linking the port to other elements of the trans-European transport network.

>Text following EP vote>

Port infrastructure inside a port area comprises the construction and maintenance of all elements of the transport system open to all transport users within the port and of links with the national and international transport network; in particular, it includes the development and maintenance of land for commercial and other port-related purposes, the construction and maintenance of road and rail connections, the construction and maintenance, including dredging, of access routes and of other areas of water in the port, the construction and maintenance of navigation aids and traffic management, communication and information systems and the construction and maintenance of installations for the collection of waste and of used bunker oil.

(Amendment 10)

ANNEX (2)(c)(iii)

Annex II, Section 5(3), last indent (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

- development and installation of management and information systems such as EDI (electronic data interchange).

>Text following EP vote>

-

development and installation of management and information systems such as EDI (electronic data interchange) or other intelligent management systems for freight and passenger traffic using integrated technologies.

(Amendment 11)

ANNEX (2)(c)(iv)

Annex II, Section 5(4), 1st subparagraph (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

Infrastructure investment within the port area (excluding EDI) is not eligible for Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks, except for projects of common interest concerning combined transport in port areas as set out in Annex II Section 7. In eligible regions infrastructure investment can be funded by the Cohesion and Structural funds.

>Text following EP vote>

Enterprise-related port superstructure investments and operating aids for this purpose are not eligible for Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks. As an exceptional measure, port superstructure activities may be supported by the Cohesion or Structural funds in eligible regions, provided this does not impair fair competition between and within the seaports of the Community.

(Amendment 12)

ANNEX (2)(d)

Annex II, Section 7 (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

(d) In Section 7, the third indent is replaced by the following:

>Text following EP vote>

(d)

In Section 7, the second and third indents are replaced by the following:

>Original text>

'- adaptation of port areas, making it possible to develop or improve transfers between sea transport and rail and inland waterways in combined transport,'

>Text following EP vote>

'- creation or restructuring of centres for transhipments between modes of land transport, with the infrastructure pertaining to them;

>Original text>

>Text following EP vote>

- adaptation of port areas, making it possible to develop or improve transfers between sea transport and rail and inland waterways in combined transport,'

(Amendment 13)

ANNEX (3)(b)

Annex III (8) (Decision No 1692/96/EC)

>Original text>

Multimodal link Portugal /Spain with the rest of Europe.

>Text following EP vote>

Multimodal link Portugal /Spain with the rest of Europe

by completing and structuring rail, road, sea and air transport links in the three principal Iberian corridors:

- Galicia (La Coruna)/Portugal (Lisbon)

- Irun/Valladolid/Portugal (Lisbon)

- south-west corridor (Lisbon/Seville).

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision amending Decision No 1692/96/EC as regards seaports, inland ports and intermodal terminals as well as project No 8 in Annex III (COM(97)0681 - C4-0151/98 - 97/0358(COD))(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council, COM(97)0681 - 97/0358(COD) ((OJ C 120, 18.4.1998, p. 14.)),

- having regard to Articles 189b(2) and 129d of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C4-0151/98),

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A4-0074/99),

1. Approves the Commission proposal, subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty;

3. Calls on the Council to incorporate Parliament's amendments in the common position that it adopts in accordance with Article 189b(2) of the EC Treaty;

4. Points out that the Commission is required to submit to Parliament any modification it may intend to make to its proposal as amended by Parliament;

5. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.