EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/519

(2004/C 84 E/0595)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4069/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(14 January 2004)

Subject: European Maritime Safety Agency

The European Council has finally decided on the seat of the European Maritime Safety Agency.

The decision was taken to locate it in Lisbon, which is to be welcomed, in view of the city's geographical position and facilities, as well as the large area covered by Portuguese waters — both off the shore of the continent and in the regions of the Azores and Madeira — which are crossed by important trans-Atlantic shipping corridors and traffic between the north and south of the Atlantic and between northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

For various political reasons it took a long time to reach the decision and it urgently needs to be implemented.

Can the Commission therefore say:

— when it expects to complete the final inauguration of the European Maritime Safety Agency in Lisbon and make it operational and whether it has already drawn up a timetable for this;

— how many staff will be involved in running the Agency, whether they have already been recruited and in accordance with what instruments and timetable;

— out of the list of duties already established, what priority tasks will be allocated to the European Maritime Safety Agency and its directors as soon as it is fully launched in Lisbon?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(18 February 2004)

The Commission welcomes the decision taken by the representatives of the Member States meeting at Head of States or Government level in December 2003 to fix the location of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in Lisbon. Pending that decision and in line with Article 2 3 of the Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of 27 June 2002 (1), the Commission had to set up the Agency provisionally in Brussels in its own premises. Therefore, the Agency is already operational from its provisional location, has recruited core staff and proceeds in the realisation of its work programme for 2004.

The precise timetable for moving the Agency to Lisbon has not been fixed yet, but is presently the subject of discussions between the Portuguese Government and the Agency. The choice and preparation of adequate premises in Lisbon, as well as the completion of administrative procedures for moving the present office infrastructure and staff will obviously determine this timetable.

In January 2004, the Agency had a staff of 22 people (one official, 13 temporary agents and eight auxiliary agents). This work force will be reinforced on February 2004 with seven detached national experts, four temporary agents and two auxiliary agents. Furthermore, the selection of additional staff is in process for a number of posts published in November 2003 and December 2003. The establishment plan of the Agency for 2004, after enlargement, contains 55 posts (five officials and 50 temporary agents). The recruitment of detached national experts and a few auxiliary agents is also foreseen in the Agency administrative budget for 2004. It should be noted that the Agency has set up a website where all the calls for applications and recruitment notices appear (www.emsa.eu.int).

The Agency has adopted an ambitious Work Programme for 2004, targeting most of the tasks attributed to it by Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002. The Work programme of the Agency for 2005 will be determined by the Administrative Board of the Agency in October 2004, in line with article 10(2)(d) of the above Regulation.

(1) OJ L 208, 5.8.2002.