WRITTEN QUESTION P-0782/01

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 March 2001)

Subject: Safety in ports

In a communiqué issued on 21 February 2001, the Greek Union of Merchant Maríne Masters (PEPEN) points out that in many Greek ports, there are shallow waters, incorrect signalling of reefs and uncharted sandbanks, dilapidated jetties, lack of mooring bollards, poorly illuminated lighthouses, lack of port terminals and a total absence of passenger facilities, creating serious problems for safe shipping.

Problems of this kind have been identified in 31 Greek ports, including Piraeus, Heraklion, Rethymnon, Samos, Paros, etc. where passenger traffic is intense, especially during the summer months. Following the inclusion of many port development schemes in Community programmes, a number of infrastructure projects have been carried out but the shortcomings persist as those projects have only covered the minimum requirements.

In the light of the recent accidents in Europe, safety must be the paramount objective of Community activity in the shipping sector. Can the Commission, therefore, say to what extent Greek ports have the necessary infrastructure, whether they meet the required safety standards and whether the projects to be funded under the 3rd CSF have been selected?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(26 April 2001)

The Commission wishes to inform the Honourable Member that there is no Community framework establishing minimum safety requirements for ports infrastructure on the specific issues raised.

Moreover, for such aspects, there is no obligation for Member States to communicate to the Commission the state of infrastructure equipment, nor of compliance with safety prescriptions (national or international) of ports within their territory.

Member States bear full responsibility for ensuring safety in their ports.

However, the Commission wishes to inform the Honourable Member that the following two pieces of European legislation will strengthen and enhance safety in port procedures; in general:

- Commission Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing requirements and harmonized procedures for the safe loading and unloading of bulk carriers. This proposed Directive will translate the IMO Bulk Loading and Unloading Code into Community Law and currently is in first reading.

- In addition, Directive 2000/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues, ensures that all EU ports will have the necessary facilities to meet the waste delivery needs of all ships using them. This Directive, which has to be implemented by December 2002, also provides the foundation for a continuous dialogue between ports and their users in the context of waste management planning.

The operational programme (OP) Road axes, ports, urban development under the Community support framework for Greece during the 2000-2006 programming period, provides mainly for interventions to improve port facilities of Pireaus, Lavrio and Patras. Interventions to other ports to be defined at a later stage will be co-financed either by the above mentioned OP or other regional OP, or by the cohesion fund.

The precise ports and the characteristics of projects to be co-financed will in any case be decided by the managing authority of the respective OPs, on the basis of criteria to be defined in the programming complement. For the cohesion fund, the final co-financing decision is taken by the Commission, on the basis of the Member States proposals.