WRITTEN QUESTION E-2276/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Subject: Reducing the risks posed by the transportation of dangerous substances between the North Sea and the port of Antwerp via the Western Scheldt

1. Can the Commission confirm that access for ocean-going vessels to the Belgian port of Antwerp, via a long winding channel formed by the widened Western Scheldt estuary, with varying depths in the neighbouring Netherlands, poses greater risks than access to the surrounding harbours of Dunkirk, Zeebrugge or Rotterdam?

2. What is the Commission's response to the report in the Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant newspaper of 19 June 2001 that an accident with a tanker carrying ammonia near the Dutch town of Vlissingen at the start of this route could result in 1800 dead and injured and an accident involving an LPG tanker could result in 235 dead and injured?

3. To what extent is the likelihood of accidents increased by cross traffic from the Kruiningen-Perkpolder and Vlissingen-Breskens ferries, which provide a regular service between the north and south banks of the river pending the building of a tunnel?

4. Do current shipments of LPG and ammonia via the Western Scheldt comply with European and international requirements for the transportation of dangerous substances by water?

5. What measures does the Commission plan to take, in close cooperation with the governments of the Netherlands and Belgium, to reduce the risks of accidents and to cut the likelihood of accidents to a minimum?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(6 November 2001)

1. and 3. The Commission wishes to point out that the transport of dangerous goods inherently poses risks in cases where the transport, e.g. through an estuary, is long and may even involve two countries, as in the case in the Port of Antwerp. It is self-evident that maritime transport operations crossing other operations require increased level of safety awareness of all parties concerned.

2. The Commission has been aware of assessments of worst case scenarios. It is difficult to prove these right or wrong. But the Commission believes that the full respect of existing rules should prevent accidents.

4. and 5. The application of existing safety rules falls within the responsibility of the Member States. The Commission has no reason to believe that the Dutch and Belgian authorities do not comply with these requirements. In particular, the Commission is aware of the existing bilateral agreements between the Netherlands and Belgium related to the safety of navigation on the Western Scheldt. The Commission has reason to believe that the current arrangements, which provide inter alia for strict traffic control by means of an integrated chain of radar stations and mandatory pilotage, are adequate to safeguard maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment.

Therefore the Commission does not plan to take specific measures concerning navigation in the Western Scheldt estuary. However, on a European-wide basis, the Commission is convinced of the need to strengthen the monitoring of vessels carrying dangerous or polluting goods and of improving co-operation and exchange of information between Member States. Therefore the Commission has adopted on 6 December 2000, in the framework of the so-called ERIKA-II package, a proposed Directive(1) aiming at setting-up a Community system for the identification, control and monitoring of maritime traffic in the coastal waters of Member States.

(1) OJ C 120 E, 24.4.2001.