WRITTEN QUESTION E-2840/02

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(9 October 2002)

Subject: Security in ports

In the aftermath of the attack on the twin towers in New York, the United States saw a need for checks and antiterrorist measures to be stepped up in ports.

Europe's major ports have been striving to adjust to these new measures (e.g. monitoring by x-ray scanners) in the fear that shipping deemed to be at risk might be refused entry to the United States, and this has raised the possibility of competition between ports becoming distorted.

At the same time, these measures result in considerable delays and surcharges in the case of containers selected to undergo inspection.

In the light of the above, can the Commission state:

1. whether and on what terms it could open discussions with the United States with a view to reaching common agreement on security procedures in seaports.

2. whether it does not consider it essential to introduce common security measures in all European ports, and how these would be financed.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(25 November 2002)

Further to the concerns expressed by the Honourable Member on the strengthening of security controls in the United States with a view to combating terrorism, the Commission has been actively working to find a Community response to this question.

Various discussions with Member States have taken place and two meetings on this specific issue have been held between the Commission and American Customs officials.

The Community shares the objective of improving maritime transport security and protecting trade against any threat of terrorist attack, it is, therefore, important to take concrete steps to ensure a common level of security control on both sides of the Atlantic in such a way to mutually guarantee standards for a uniform treatment of all exports involved.

At the latest meeting both sides recognised the importance of co-operation to ensure both better security and facilitation of legitimate trade. In the discussion a number of major principles for future co-operation were stressed, most particularly reciprocity, common standards for the selection and performance of controls to increase security and at the same time facilitate legitimate trade.

Different views still exist on points such as the proposed US 24 hours rule, which requires carriers to provide American Customs with cargo manifest information 24 hours before the related cargo is loaded on board a vessel. Both parties convened to carry out further analysis on these aspects and to quickly find solutions to bridge such difficulties.

Both parties also agreed to quickly explore the possibilities of signing a declaration of principle to co-operate on a mutually acceptable container security system covering the whole Union which would integrate the needs for securing international trade in containers.

In addition to these efforts which will also introduce a more common approach to security at the European level, a group of technical customs experts will meet to deepen the discussion of specific areas that might also facilitate future discussions within the World Customs Organisation Task Force on Security and Facilitation in the international supply chain.

Wit regard to the establishment of safety measures common to all the European ports, the Commission considers that a first stage will be reached by the implementation co-ordinated at Community level of the provisions concerning the harbour facilities, which should be adopted in December 2002 by the International Maritime Organisation. In addition, the Commission undertook in 2002 a study relating to the strengthening of the conditions of safety of the cruising passengers in the Mediterranean ports of the Union. Its results, compounds with those awaited of a study of greater impact on the harbour problems in terms of safety and its financial consequences, will make it possible, in co-operation with the Member States, to envisage the measures necessary for the improvement of safety in the Community ports.