WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3127/97 by Gerardo FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR to the Commission. Action by the European Union to dispose of 'space waste'
Date: 1997-10-13
Institutions: European Parliament, FERNANDEZ ALBOR
Subjects: EU policy, European Space Agency, environmental protection, pollution control measures, satellite, space navigation, waste, waste disposal

16. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 117/153

(98/C 117/206)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3124/97

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(13 October 1997)

Subject: Ban on Cypriot vessels calling at Turkish ports

The  Turkish  Government  has  announced  a  ban  henceforth  on  vessels  flying  the  Cypriot  flag  from  calling  at
Turkish  ports.  As  you  will  be  aware,  Cyprus  is  a  country  associated  with  the  EU  and  already  preparing  for
membership.

What are the Commission(cid:146)s views on this situation and how will it respond to this unprecedented act by Turkey,
which is obstructing international trade and provoking a country in the process of becoming a member of the EU?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(7 November 1997)

The Commission was recently informed of the situation described by the Honourable Member.

As sea transport is not covered by the bilateral agreements between the Community and Turkey the Commission
is currently studying Turkey’s multilateral obligations in this sphere.

In a resolution of the EC-Turkey Association Council of 6 March 1995 the two parties agreed to start cooperating
on transport, notably sea transport. It has not been possible to implement cooperation between the Community
and Turkey in that field owing to the situation as regards financial cooperation.

(98/C 117/207)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3127/97

by Gerardo Ferna·ndez-Albor (PPE) to the Commission

(13 October 1997)

Subject: Action by the European Union to dispose of (cid:145)space waste(cid:146)

The thousands of objects of all kinds which are floating around in space as a result of the break-up of satellites
and  other  artefacts  which  no  longer  serve  any  useful  purpose  have  become  a  major  problem  which  requires
urgent action to be taken on a collective basis if such objects are to be prevented from accumulating in even
greater numbers.

A lack of foresight and a complete absence of coordination are the common features of the activities which, over
the years, have turned space into a huge dustbin of mainly metal objects which are discarded as useless and
which eventually damage our environment as they gradually deteriorate from their original state.

What has the European Union(cid:146)s policy been as regards the disposal of the (cid:145)space waste(cid:146) in orbit around our planet
and what proposals has the Commission put forward (or is it intending to put forward)as a contribution to solving
this problem at international level?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(3 November 1997)

Space debris and its possible consequences for space activities has been an issue on the international level for
several years.

With respect to Europe, already in 1986 the council of the European space agency (ESA) established a working
group of experts on space debris. Following the report of this group the ESA Member States adopted a resolution
on the agency’s policy vis-a‘-vis the space debris issue. ESA’s current debris-related activities aim to minimise the
creation of space debris, to reduce the risk on the ground due to the re-entry of space objects, to acquire all the
necessary data on space debris to assess the extent of the problem and its consequences and to study the legal
aspects of space debris.