OPINION OF THE COMMISSION on the amendments proposed by the European Parliament to the Council's common position on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1107/70 on the granting of aids for transport by rail, road and inland waterway
Date: 1996-10-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU aid, common transport policy, inland waterway transport, rail transport, road transport

COMMISSION  OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  21.10.1996 
COM(96)  516  final 

95/0121  (SYN) 
95/0122  (SYN) 
95/0123  (SYN) 

OPINION  OF THE  COMMISSION 
on  the  amendments  proposed  by  the European  Parliament 
to the  Council's  common  position  on the 

proposals  for 

a  Council  Directive  on  the  systems  of  chartering  and  pricing  in  national  and 
international  inland  waterway  transport  in the  Community; 

a Council  Regulation  (EC)  amending  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  1101/89  on 
structural  improvements  in  inland  waterway  transport; 

a Council  Regulation  (EC)  amending  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  1107/70  on 
the  granting  of  aids  for  transport  by  rail,  road  and  inland  waterway. 

(presented  by  the  Commission  pursuant  to  Article  189  c  (d)  of  the  EC  Treaty) 

OPINION  OF THE  COMMISSION 
on  the amendments  proposed  by  the  European  Parliament 
to the  Council's  common  position  on  the 

proposals  for 

a  Council  Directive  on  the  systems  of  chartering  and  pricing  in  national  and 
international  inland  waterway  transport  in the  Community; 

a Council  Regulation  (EC)  amending  Council Regulation  (EEC)  No  1101/89 on 
structural  improvements  in inland  waterway  transport; 

a Council  Regulation  (EC)  amending  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  1107/70 on 
the  granting  of  aids  for  transport  by  rail,  road  and  inland  waterway. 

On  17 September  1996  Parliament  proposed  amendments  to  the  common  position, 
relating  to the abovementioned  proposals,  which the Council  adopted  on 27 June  1996. 
The  two  amendments  are  given  in annex. 

Pursuant  to  Article  189c(d)  of  the  EC  Treaty,  the  Commission  has  re-examined  its 
proposal,  and  has  decided  not to accept these  amendments  for  the following  reasons: 

It  is  unable  to  accept  the  first  amendment  (introducing  a  new  recital  concerning 
accompanying  social measures  for carriers  which cease their activity) because it exceeds 
the  scope  of  the  proposal.  Moreover,  Article  9  of  Council  Regulation  (EEC) 
No  1101/89 already  provides  for  such  measures  to be adopted  by  the  Member  States. 

Regarding  the  second  amendment,  the  Commission  notes  that  it concerns  the  financial 
statement which accompanies the proposal rather  than the proposal  itself.  Furthermore, 
the detailed  arrangements  for  financing  the  scrapping  of  tankers  are  already  laid  down 
by  Commission  Regulation  (EEC)  No  1102/89. 

The Commission  took this same position on the amendments proposed  by Parliament  at 
first  reading. 

Accordingly,  the  Commission  confirms  its  agreement  with  the  Council's  common 
position  of  27 June  1996. 

Enc:  2  amendments 

EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT 

1 9 96  -  1 9 97  SESSION 

Decision of  the European Parliament  on the common position established  by the 
Council with a view to the adoption of the Council Directive on the systems of 
chartering  and  pricing  in  in  national  and  international  inTahd~~~waterway 
transport  in the Community  (A4-0252/96 - C4-0367/96) . 

EXTRACT 

FROM  THE  MINUTES 

OF  THE  SITTING  OF 

17  September  1996 

PE  1 6 6 . 2 98 

3 

Decision  on  the  ccnunon  position  adopted  by  the  Council  with  a  view  to 
adopting a  Council Directive on  the systems  of chartering  and pricing in 
national and international inland waterway transport in the Community  (C4-
0367/96 - 95/0121(3YN)) 

(Cooperation procedure: second reading) 

The European Parliament. 

having  regard  to  the  ooinmon  position  of  the  Council,  C4-0367/96  -
95/0121(SYN), 

having  regard to i;s opinion at first  reading1  on the Commission proposal 
to the Council, COM(95)01992, 

having regard to the amended Commission proposal, COM(96)f1823, 

having  been  consulted  by  the Council  pursuant  to Article  189c  of  the  EC 
Treaty, 

having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure, 

having regard to the recommendation for second reading of-the«Committee on 
Transport and Tourism  (A4-0252/96), 

1.  Amends the common position as follows; 

2.  Instructs  its  President  to  forward  this  decision  to  the  Council  and 

Commission. 

Common position of  the Council 

Amendments by Parliament 

(Amendment 2) 
Recital 3a  (new) 

Whereas  the  Member  states  adopt 
accompanying  social  measures  to 
assist  carriers whc  close down their 
businesses: 

1  OJ C 65, 4.3.1996, p. 26. 
2  OJ C 318, 29.11.1995, p. 8. 
3  OJ C 177, 20.6.1996, p. 5. 

^ 

p  Ç \  f> fi 2 9 8 

EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT 

1996 - 1997 SESSION 

Decision of the European Parliament  on the common position established  by the 
Council with a view to the adoption of  (EC) amending Council Regulation  (EEC) 
1101/89 on structural  improvements  in inland waterway  transport T?*4~0252/96 -
C4-0366/96). 

EXTRACT 

FROM THE MINUTES 

OF THE SITTING OF 

PE  166.297 

Transport by rail, road and inland waterway **II 

A4-0252/96 

Decision on  the common  position adopted  by  the Council with a view to 
adopting a Council Regulation amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1101/89 
on  structural  improvements  in  inland  waterway  transport  (C4-0366/96  -
95/0122(SYN)) 

(Cooperation procedure: second reading) 

The European Parliament. 

having  regard  to  the  common  position  of  the  CounciJ,  C4-0366/96  -
95/0122(SYN), 

having regard to its opinion at first reading1 on the Commission proposal 
to the Council, COM(95)01992, 

having regard to the amended Commission proposal, COM(96)01823, 

having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 189c of the EC 
Treaty, 

^ 

^ 

having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure, 

having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on 
Transport and Tourism  (A4-0252/96), 

1.  Amends the common position as follows; 

2.  Instructs  its  President  to  forward  this  decision  to  the  Council  and 

Commission. 

Common position of the Council 

Amendments by Parliament 

(Amendment 1 ) 
Financial Statement 
4.  DESCRIPTION OF MEASURE 
4.1 second and third paragraphs (new) 

OJ  C  6 5,  4 . 3 . 1 9 9 6,  p.  3 0. 

1 
2  OJ  C  3 1 8,  2 9 . 1 1 . 1 9 9 5,  p. 
1 1-
3  OJ  C  177,  20.6.1996,  p.  6. 

4> 

PE166297 

In the preceding paragraph and in  jhe 
remainder of  this Financial  Statement 
H  is  assumed  that—the  structural 
over-capacitv of tonnace, both in the 
drv-caroo  sector  and  in  the  tanker 
sector,  is  approximately  15%.  For 
flry cargo  this  figure  js  accurate, 
but  developments  in  tanker  transport 
indicate  that  here  over-capacitv  is 
at  least  20%.  In  order  to  improve 
rapidly  the  situation  of  serious 
market  disturbance  there,  an  extra 
scrapping 
be. 
implemented  in  the  tanker  sector  in 
abovementioned 
the 
addition 
objective:  the  additional  system 
should  remove  at  least  an  extra  10% 
of  capacity  from  the  jnarket  in  the 
first  year. 

system 

should 

to- 

Each  of  the  Member  States  concerned 
will set UP a  separate scrapping  fund 
for  the  purpose.  The  Member  States 
will  provide  anticii^ato»«^ -financing 
for  these  funds  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  their  tanker  fleets  in  the 
form  of  interest-free  loans. 
The 
funds,  which  should  operate  on  a 
basis of  joint  and several  liability, 
will  repay  the  loans,  drawing  on  the 
annual  contributions  to  be  paid  bv 
carriers.  The  present  contributions 
will  therefore  have  tc. bo  increased. 
In  this  way  a  more  rapid  and  a 
substantial  extra  reduction  in  the 
tanker  fleet  will  be made  possible. 

PF166297 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(96) 516  final 

DOCUMENTS 

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ISBN 92-78-10345-4 

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