WRITTEN QUESTION E-2547/00 by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Crisis in the European shipbuilding industry.
Date: 2000-07-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: South Korea, competition policy, industrial integration, international competition, international trade, shipbuilding

C 113 E/120

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

(2001/C 113 E/121)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2547/00

by Laura GonzÆlez `lvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(31 July 2000)

Subject: Crisis in the European shipbuilding industry

The report adopted by the Commission on 3 May 2000 and considered by the Council on 18 May 2000
draws attention to the continual decline in the market share enjoyed by the European Union in the
shipbuilding sector and highlights in particular the problem of the commercially unsustainable prices
applied by shipyards in the the Republic of Korea with the direct and indirect support of the Korean
Government and the banks of that country.

What firm measures have the Member States taken, or will they take, to implement the conclusions
reached by the Council of the European Union at its meeting of 18 May 2000, in order to:

(cid:129) keep the International Monetary Fund and World Bank informed of its views and call for stringent
monitoring to ensure that the IMF aid granted to the Republic of Korea is closely controlled and
rigorously assessed, particularly that granted to the shipbuilding sector;

(cid:129) continue its efforts in the appropriate international organisations to standardise the rules applicable to

the shipbuilding sector?

Do the agreements reached by the Commission and the Korean Government offer sufficient legal basis to
ensure that the Republic of Korea will correct its policy? What trade policy instruments could be used to
bring additional pressure to bear on the Republic of Korea?

Why does the Council not call on the Member States to lodge a complaint against the WTO and ask for an
investigation to be opened by the IMF and World Bank?

What steps has the Commission taken, or will
shipbuilding industry in order to help ensure its survival?

it take, to encourage the integration of the European

Reply

(20 November 2000)

1.
As stated by the Honourable Member, the 2nd Commission report on the situation in the world
shipbuilding industry was examined by the Industry Council at its meeting on 18 May 2000 and certain
conclusions were adopted.

In these conclusions, the Council called on the Commission (cid:145)to continue to monitor closely developments
with the Member States and industry and to exercise pressure on the Republic of Korea fully to implement
the(cid:146)Agreed Minutes(cid:145)as well as to assume responsibility to work towards an improvement of the market
situation, in particular concerning price levels and new building capacities(cid:146).

2.

Subsequently on the basis of these conclusions, the Council:

(cid:129) was informed that,

in accordance with the consultation mechanism provided for in the (cid:145)Agreed
Minutes(cid:146), the Commission had immediately initiated ad hoc consultations with the Government of the
Republic of Korea with a view to ending unfair competition (a second meeting was planned
for September 2000);

(cid:129) expected to receive a Commission progress report on the situation by the end of September 2000.

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/121

By its Decision of 19 June 2000 (1), the Council approved the Agreed Minutes between the European

3.
Community and the Government of the Republic of Korea on the world shipbuilding market.

This Decision is based on the Treaty establishing the European Community, in particular Article 133
thereof, in conjunction with the first sentence of Article 300 (2).

The Honourable Member is also reminded that, in its conclusions of 18 May 2000, the Council

4.
likewise called on:

(cid:129) the industry and the Commission to collect further detailed evidence on possible injurious pricing and
other non-market oriented behaviour in order to launch and support, respectively, a complaint under
the Trade Barrier Regulation if required;

(cid:129) the Commission and Member States to keep the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World
Bank informed about the findings and to request that the implementation of the conditions under
which IMF-led assistance was granted to the Republic of Korea is closely monitored and assessed with
particular reference to shipbuilding.

5.
Finally, the last question raised is clearly one for the Commission since it refers to steps planned by
the Commission to encourage the integration of the European shipbuilding industry in order to help
ensure its survival.

(1) Decision 2000/409/EC (see OJ L 155, 28.6.2000, p. 47).

(2001/C 113 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2550/00

by Isidoro SÆnchez Garc(cid:237)a (ELDR) to the Commission

(28 July 2000)

Subject: Statistical data concerning the geographical position of the Canary Islands, its rate of unemploy-

ment and its distance from Madrid

The general description of the outermost regions (French Overseas Territories, Canary Islands (Spain) and
the Portuguese archipelagoes of the Azores and Madeira) by the Commission secretariat (on its website for
outermost regions) contains statistical data for the various outermost regions of the EU some of which
would seem to refer to the Canary Islands. In particular, its geographical position is said to be off the coast
of Morocco, while no reference is made to its rate of unemployment or to the distance from Madrid of the
Canary capitals.

Will the Commission correct, where appropriate, the statistical data regarding the exact geographical
position of the Canary Islands, its rate of unemployment and its distance from Madrid?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(13 October 2000)

The present versions of the text on the europa.eu.int website in French, Spanish, Portuguese and English
do in fact include information on the rate of unemployment and the distance between the Canary capitals
and Madrid. As for the description of the Canary Islands(cid:146) geographical location in the Atlantic Ocean, it is
true that the Spanish version is incorrect. From now on, the expression (cid:145)OcØano AtlÆntico (cerca de las
costas de Marruecos)(cid:146) will be used in Spanish, which is a better rendering of the French (cid:145)OcØan Atlantique
(au large du Maroc)(cid:146) and the other language versions.