WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2035/98 by Georg JARZEMBOWSKI to the Commission. Ferry safety
Date: 1998-06-30
Institutions: European Parliament, JARZEMBOWSKI
Subjects: carriage of passengers, ferryboat, international standard, maritime safety, maritime transport, safety standard













EUR-Lex - 91998E2035 - EN






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91998E2035

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2035/98 by Georg JARZEMBOWSKI to the Commission. Ferry safety  


Official Journal C 050 , 22/02/1999 P. 0125 





WRITTEN QUESTION P-2035/98by Georg Jarzembowski (PPE) to the Commission(30 June 1998)Subject: Ferry safetyFor some time the German automobile club ADAC has been monitoring compliance with the safety regulations laid down in the SOLAS Convention (Safety of Life at Sea) on ferries operating in the North Sea, the Baltic and the Mediterranean. In the June issue of its magazine "ADAC motorwelt" the ADAC investigators report some significant failings in the safety of ferries in the North Sea and the eastern Mediterranean in particular.1. Is the Commission aware of this article or of the ADAC's findings?2. What are the Commission's views on the results of the safety tests?3. What action will the Commission take - where appropriate, vis-à-vis the Member States concerned - with regard to the failings reported?Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission(27 July 1998)1. Yes.2. The Commission welcomed and supported the initiative undertaken by the German automobile club. It highlights the need to enforce compliance with international and European safety standards through regular,strict inspections by the authorities of both flag states and host states.The Commission has noted the test results in the light of the Community's maritime safety legislation, and is of the opinion that:- the mandatory and advanced application of the International safety management (ISM) code since 1 July 1996 through Council Regulation (EC) 3051/95 of 8 December 1995 on the safety management of roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries (ro-ro ferries)(1) appear to have been beneficial in view of the better safety performance of the ferries tested this year by comparison with the results of similar tests in 1997;- the better test ranking overall of ferries operating internationally compared with ferries operating domestic services confirms the justification for the Community action on the safety of domestic passenger ships through the adoption of Council Directive 98/18/EC of 17 March 1998 on safety rules and standards for passenger ships(2);- the test results demonstrate the need for monitoring and enforcement of compliance with the international and European safety standards through a system of mandatory expanded surveys by the host states involved, as recently proposed by the Commission (proposal for a Council directive on conditions for the operation of regular ro-ro ferry and high speed passenger craft services in the Community(3)).3. In the framework of the above-mentioned Community legislation, the Commission will draw these test results to the attention of the relevant Member States, and invite them to take, in their capacity as flag state or port state, the necessary action to remedy the shortcomings which have been revealed.(1) OJ L 320, 30.12.1995.(2) OJ L 144, 15.5.1998.(3) OJ C 108, 7.4.1998.