WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2804/97 by Mark WATTS to the Commission. Documents of Compliance
Date: 1997-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, WATTS
Subjects: carriage of passengers, ferryboat, maritime safety, maritime transport, transport document, transport safety

3. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 102/127

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2781/97, E-2782/97, E-2783/97, E-2784/97,
E-2785/97, E-2786/97, E-2787/97, E-2788/97, E-2789/97, E-2790/97, E-2791/97, E-2792/97,
E-2793/97, E-2794/97, E-2795/97, E-2796/97, E-2797/97, E-2798/97, E-2799/97 and E-2800/97
given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission

(26 September 1997)

The following is the Commission’s overall answer to the 20 written questions from the Honourable Member,
which pose the same five questions with regard to each of the overseas countries and territories (OCT).

The constitutional relationship between each OCT and the Member State concerned depends on the internal law
of that Member State (Denmark, France, the Netherlands or the United Kingdom). It is not the Commission’s
responsibility to describe those relationships. However, they are summarised in Annex I to the Communication
from the Commission on the mid-term review of Decision 91/482/EEC (1) on the Association of the overseas
countries and territories with the European Community (2). Since they are subject to modification, in May 1997
the Commission asked the Member States to up-date this information as an aid to the work currently underway
on the future of relations between the Community and the OCT after 2000.

Relations between the OCT and the Community are governed by Articles 131 to 136 of the EC Treaty and by
Association Decisions unanimously adopted by the Council, pursuant to Article 136, in 1964, 1970, 1976, 1981,
1986 and 1991.

The  trade  arrangements  between  the  Community  and  the  OCT  are  set  out  in  the  Association  Decisions.  The
Decision currently in force is Decision No 91/482/EEC of 25 July 1991. The trade figures can be found in the
Commission (Eurostat) publication on the Community’s external trade with the ACP countries and the OCT.

Financing arrangements (programmable assistance from the European Development Fund (EDF) for the OCTs
and  regional  cooperation;  non-programmable  assistance  such  as  emergency  aid,  interest  subsidies,  Stabex,
Sysmin, venture capital; European Investment Bank loans) are also set out in the Association Decisions.

On 14 February 1996 the Commission submitted a proposal for 1997-2000 (3); however, the Council has not yet
adopted  provisions  for  that  period  because  of  continuing  disagreement  among  its  members  about  the  trade
aspects of the mid-term review of Decision 91/482/EEC.

(1)  OJ L 263, 19.9.1991.
(2)  COM(94) 538 final.
(3)  COM(95) 739 final.

(98/C 102/191)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2804/97

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(1 September 1997)

Subject: Documents of Compliance

How many companies have been refused ISM Documents of Compliance in each Member State?

(98/C 102/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2805/97

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(1 September 1997)

Subject: Refusal of ISM Safety Management Certificates

How many vessels have been refused ISM Safety Management Certificates by category in each Member State?