(2004/C58E/031) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0727/03
byRosaMiguélezRamos(PSE)totheCommission
(11March2003)
Subject:‘Prestige’:intensifyingPortStateControl
On19December2002theEuropeanParliamentadoptedaresolutiononsafetyatseaandmeasuresto
alleviatetheeffectsofthe‘Prestige’disaster.Paragraph15reads:
StressestheimportanceofintensifyingPortStateControl;urgesallMemberStatestomeetthe25%
targetofPortStateControlinspectionsasrequiredbyDirective95/21/EC(1);urgestheCommissionto
pursueMemberStateswhocontinuetofallshortofthistarget;considersthat,inthelightofthe‘Prestige’disaster,itwillbenecessarysubstantiallytoincreasetherateandqualityofinspections,withaparticulartargetingofshipsaboveacertainage,ofhigh-risktypesofships,andthoseshipsflyingflagsofconvenienceasdefinedbytheParisMemorandumofUnderstanding;
WhatmeasureshastheCommissiontakenordoesitintendtotakeinresponse?
(1) OJL157,7.7.1995,p.1.
Jointanswer
toWrittenQuestionsE-0718/03,
E-0720/03,E-0722/03,E-0723/03andE-0727/03
givenbyMrsdePalacioonbehalfoftheCommission
(15May2003)
With regard to the measures taken following the wreck of the oil tanker ‘Prestige’ in general, the
CommissionwouldinvitetheHonourableMembertorefertothereportitpresentedforthehearingbyParliament’sCommitteeonRegionalPolicy,TransportandTourismon19March2003,anditsannex:‘CommunicationfromtheCommissiontotheParliamentandtotheCouncilonimprovingsafetyatseainresponsetothe“Prestige”accident’(
1),adoptedon5March2003.
AsregardstakingactioninthecontextoftheIMO(InternationalMaritimeOrganisation),theCommission
would remind the Honourable Member that it is not, at present, a member of that organisation.Accordingly,itsworkconsistsinencouragingandcoordinatingactiontakenbytheMemberStatesintheframeworkofthatinternationalbody.
ThisistheapproachtheCommissionhasadoptedwithregardtoidentifyingParticularlySensitiveSea
Areasandreorganisingmaritimetraffic,asitalreadyindicatedtotheHonourableMemberinitsanswertoWrittenQuestionE-3657/02(
2)onmovingtheFinisterrecorridorfurtherawayfromthecoast.
Atinternationallevel,theCommission,withintheframeworkoftheAgreementslinkingthemtothe
Union,hasaskedtheEU’sneighbouringStates,inparticularRussiaandtheMediterraneanPartners,toadoptmeasuresequivalenttothosetheEUistakingtobanthetransportofheavyfueloilandspeeduptheprocessofphasingoutsingle-hulltankers.
WithregardtostrengtheningportStatecontrol,theCommissionwouldremindtheHonourableMember
that in itsCommunicationof3December 2002(
3) it askedthe Member Statestotake the necessary
measurestoapplytheexistingDirectiveandanticipatetheimplementationoftheDirectiveasrevisedfollowingthewreckofthe‘Erika’(
4).
Inparticular,theCommissionstressedtheneedtorecruitasufficientnumberofinspectorstocheckat
least25%ofvessels,asrequiredundercurrentEuropeanrules.ItalsocalledonMemberStatestoensureasufficientinspectionrateatallportsandanchorageareastoavoidtheemergenceof‘portsofconvenience’.6.3.2004EN C58E/27 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
TheCommissionintendstoremainparticularlyvigilantonthispoint,andhasthustakenFranceand
IrelandtotheCourtofJusticeforfailuretoattainthe25%inspectionthreshold.
TheCommissionconsidersthat,inthelightofrecentevents,thereisalegitimateargumentforcreatinga
European CoastguardService asameansofeffectively countering therisksofpollutionandensuringmaritimesafety.
ThefirsttaskoftheEuropeanMaritimeSafetyAgency,createdunderRegulation(EC)No1406/2002(
5)of
theEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilof27June2002andduetobecomeoperationalinthenext
fewmonths,willbetechnicalcoordinationoftheenforcementofCommunitylaw.Theaimisforthe
Agency’smandategraduallytobeextended.
Inparticular,theorganisationwillhaveamajorroletoplayinsteppingupcooperationbetweenthe
Member States’ coastguard authorities with regard to maritime safety and prevention of pollution.ThequestionofwhetheranextstageshouldbethecreationofaEuropeancoastguardfleetwillneedtobeexaminedinthelightoftheexperiencegainedbytheAgency,andconsideredbyallthepartiesconcerned.
(1) COM(2003)105final.
(2) OJC192E,14.8.2003,p.127.
(3) COM(2002)681final.
(4) CouncilDirective95/21/ECof19June1995concerningtheenforcement,inrespectofshippingusingCommunity
portsandsailinginthewatersunderthejurisdictionoftheMemberStates,ofinternationalstandardsforship
safety,pollutionpreventionandshipboardlivingandworkingconditions(portStatecontrol),OJL157,7.7.1995.
(5) OJL208,5.8.2002.
(2004/C58E/032) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0788/03
byYvonneSandberg-Fries(PSE)totheCommission
(14March2003)
Subject:Investmentaidcreatesunemployment
In February 1996 the EU approved Spanish state aid of close on SEK57 million (approximately
EUR6million)for‘OutokumpuKopper’whichwasintendedfor‘restructuringofthecompany’.Theaidwasconditionalonareductioninproductioncapacityandthecreationof60newjobsinSpain.
Theresultofthisstateaidbeingapprovedwasthatthecompanychosetoshutdownitsoperationsatthe
GraneforsworksatBlekingeinsouthernSwedenin1998withthelossof145jobs.
Thisisyetanotherexampleofhowfarpublicsubsidiescanfallwideofthemark.Anearlierexampleofa
company in Sweden being forced to shut down operations on account of state aid being approvedelsewhereintheEUistheGermantyremanufacturerContinental’sfactoryinGislaved.
EUregionalaidseekstoevenoutsocialinequalitiesbetweenMemberStates.Regionalaiddoesnotallow
taxsubsidiestoindividualcompaniesinordertoattractmanufacturingactivityfromanothercountryand,yet,thisiswhatishappening.
DoestheCommissionbelieveitisrighttouseEUstructuralaidinthisway?Whatisitdoingtoensure
thatthereisnorepetitionofstateaidbeinggrantedthatresultsincompanyrelocationswiththeaboveconsequences?C58E/28 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion