WRITTEN QUESTION E-2290/99 by Carlos Carnero González (PSE) to the Council. Future of shipbuilding in Europe.
Date: 1999-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU industrial policy, International Monetary Fund, Japan, South Korea, Spain, State aid, World Bank, privatisation, restriction on competition, shipbuilding, tariff negotiations, terms for aid

3.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 280 E/23

As regards the possibility that the Dos Llometes project runs counter to the provisions of Commission
recommendation 75/65/EEC of 20 December 1974 to Member States concerning the protection of
architectural and natural heritage, we would point out that in secondary Community legislation recom-
mendations are non-binding legal acts for the Member States.

(1) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2000/C 280 E/021)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2290/99

by Carlos Carnero GonzÆlez (PSE) to the Council

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Future of shipbuilding in Europe

On 5 November 1999, the European Trade Union called a four hour strike in the shipbuilding industry, on
behalf of the sector(cid:146)s viability, under the slogan (cid:145)WORK FOR SHIPYARDS: A FUTURE FOR EUROPE(cid:146), and
on 9 November, the Council of Industry Ministers assessed the situation of European shipbuilding. A
two-hour strike had taken place on 27 October in Spain, a country with a long history of major
commitment
the yards belonging to the Spanish Shipbuilders(cid:146) Group,
(Grupo Astilleros Espaæoles) to draw attention to their viability, and to protest against the privatisation
of Astander by the Sociedad Espaæol de Participaciones Industriales. At the same time, it was announced
that the Commission was demanding that the Spanish Government return over 18 billion pesetas granted
to the shipbuilding sector as tax credits, claiming that they were state aids.

to shipbuilding,

in all

The need to guarantee a future for the shipbuilding industry should be an absolute priority of the
European Union, for economic, social and employment reasons. This needs to be achieved by mutual
agreement with the trade union leadership, and guarantee, above all, employment in a competitive public
sector.

Can the Council answer the following questions:

1. What measures can it put forward to guarantee the viability of shipbuilding, following the November

Council meeting?

2.

Is it aware of the privatisation of Astander, and does it seriously believe that dismantling the public
sector is the right way to guarantee production and employment?

3. What is its opinion of the dumping practised by countries like Korea and Japan in this area?

(2000/C 280 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2311/99

by Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza (PSE) to the Council

(13 December 1999)

Subject: Aid to the shipbuilding industry

The European shipbuilding sector is in serious difficulty. One of the EU(cid:146)s priorities should be to secure the
future of a competitive shipbuilding industry which will contribute to social and economic development
by maintaining a certain level of employment in a number of regions, many of which have a high level of
unemployment.

In its report to the Council on the situation of shipbuilding in the world, the Commission acknowledges
that South Korea(cid:146)s public aid scheme for shipbuilding is destabilising the world market in that sector. With
a view to planning measures which will remedy this state of affairs, has the Commission quantified the
amount of such aid?

Council Regulation (EC) No 1540/98 (1) of 29 June 1998 lays down new rules on state aid to the
shipbuilding sector up to December 2000. Is the Commission planning to extend the provision of such aid
to European production beyond that date as a precautionary measure whilst it pursues its investigation
into shipbuilding aid in South Korea?