WRITTEN QUESTION E-3429/00

by Manuel Pérez Álvarez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Safety at sea

Following the accident which befell the Galician vessel, the Arosa, on 3 October 2000 in the Great Sole fishing grounds off the Irish coast, in which 12 people lost their lives, does the Commission plan to introduce a programme of any kind to combat accidents at sea, be they accidents at work in the strict sense or accidents resulting in the loss of human life in a shipwreck? Will an awareness raising campaign of any kind be adopted forthwith and introduced in the short term with a view to improving the safety of workers at sea?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(14 December 2000)

The Commission is most concerned about the loss of life arising from the loss of the British registered fishing vessel Arosa off the Irish coast. Consequently, by letter of 8 November 2000, the Commission requested information from the United Kingdom concerning the implementation of Council Directive 97/70/EC of 11 December 1997 regarding a harmonised safety regime for fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over(1).

There is an extensive package of Community legislation on maritime safety in place addressing a wide range of subjects and different types of ship operation. Following the Erika accident the Commission adopted, on 21 March 2000, a communication addressed to the Parliament and the Council(2). This presents a number of legislative proposals to enhance safety at sea. As a first step, the Commission presents regulatory measures to reinforce the existing directives concerning classification societies and port state control, and the adoption of a regulation on the accelerated phasing-in of double hull tankers. The first two proposals are of a general nature covering all different ship types. As a second step, the Commission will propose measures concerning the surveillance of navigation, a European structure for maritime safety and the liability of the various parties in the shipping community. These further proposals will be submitted to the Parliament in the course of December 2000.

Additionally, in May 2000 the Commission proposed a directive on the safe loading and unloading of bulk carriers(3) aimed at improving the quality of operation and thus avoiding structural damage to vessels which may result in ship casualties.

Furthermore, the Commission is drafting a communication on the training and recruitment of seafarers which will integrate the existing Community measures on social maritime issues. This will address the issue regarding the need for adequate training of seafarers working on board Community ships.

Finally, as far as measures to improve the health and safety of workers on board fishing vessels are concerned, the Commission wishes to bring to the attention of the Honourable Member Council Directive 93/103/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for work on board fishing vessels(4), and Council Directive 92/29/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the minimum safety and health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels(5). The Member States have all communicated the national measures intended to implement these two Directives.

It is essential, in the light of the principle of subsidiarity, that the national authorities responsible for enforcement continue to control and safeguard the application of the national provisions taken to implement the directives. In this way the directives can contribute efficiently to a reduction in the number of accidents.

(1) OJ L 34, 9.2.1998.

(2) Communication from the Commission on the safety of the seaborne oil trade, COM(2000) 142 final.

(3) OJ C 311 E, 31.10.2000.

(4) OJ L 307, 13.12.1993.

(5) OJ L 113, 30.4.1992.