WRITTEN QUESTION E-3433/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Gianfranco Fini (UEN) to the Commission. Floods in northern Italy.
Date: 2000-11-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU environmental policy, Italy, competence of the Member States, emergency aid, flood, natural hazard

C 151 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(14 December 2000)

The Commission is most concerned about the loss of life arising from the loss of the British registered
fishing vessel (cid:145)Arosa(cid:146) off the Irish coast. Consequently, by letter of 8 November 2000, the Commission
requested information from the United Kingdom concerning the implementation of Council Directive 97/
70/EC of 11 December 1997 regarding a harmonised safety regime for fishing vessels of 24 metres in
length and over (1).

There is an extensive package of Community legislation on maritime safety in place addressing a wide
range of subjects and different types of ship operation. Following the (cid:145)Erika(cid:146) accident the Commission
adopted, on 21 March 2000, a communication addressed to the Parliament and the Council (2). This
presents a number of legislative proposals to enhance safety at sea. As a first step, the Commission
presents regulatory measures to reinforce the existing directives concerning classification societies and port
state control, and the adoption of a regulation on the accelerated phasing-in of double hull tankers. The
first two proposals are of a general nature covering all different ship types. As a second step, the
Commission will propose measures concerning the surveillance of navigation, a European structure for
maritime safety and the liability of the various parties in the shipping community. These further proposals
will be submitted to the Parliament in the course of December 2000.

Additionally, in May 2000 the Commission proposed a directive on the safe loading and unloading of bulk
carriers (3) aimed at improving the quality of operation and thus avoiding structural damage to vessels
which may result in ship casualties.

Furthermore, the Commission is drafting a communication on the training and recruitment of seafarers
which will integrate the existing Community measures on social maritime issues. This will address the
issue regarding the need for adequate training of seafarers working on board Community ships.

Finally, as far as measures to improve the health and safety of workers on board fishing vessels are
concerned, the Commission wishes to bring to the attention of the Honourable Member Council Directive
93/103/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for work on
board fishing vessels (4), and Council Directive 92/29/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the minimum safety and
health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels (5). The Member States have all
communicated the national measures intended to implement these two Directives.

It is essential, in the light of the principle of subsidiarity, that the national authorities responsible for
enforcement continue to control and safeguard the application of the national provisions taken to
implement the directives. In this way the directives can contribute efficiently to a reduction in the number
of accidents.

(1) OJ L 34, 9.2.1998.
(2) Communication from the Commission on the safety of the seaborne oil trade, COM(2000) 142 final.
(3) OJ C 311 E, 31.10.2000.
(4) OJ L 307, 13.12.1993.
(5) OJ L 113, 30.4.1992.

(2001/C 151 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3433/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Gianfranco Fini (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Floods in northern Italy

(7 November 2000)

As a result of the current spate of bad weather in northern Italy, dozens of people have died, hundreds
injured and thousands evacuated; road and rail traffic has been disrupted, hundreds of communes have
been isolated, rivers have burst their banks, and bridges, roads and buildings have collapsed.

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/169

Will the Commission, in addition to immediately setting up an emergency assistance plan, draw up a
directive instructing regions to forward a hydrogeological risk map, to provide detailed information on
geological conditions in each commune?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(15 December 2000)

The Commission deplores the deaths, injuries and homelessness and the infrastructural and environmental
damage resulting from the bad weather in northern Italy during October 2000.

As regards emergency assistance, the Honourable Member is asked to refer to the answer given by the
Commission to Oral Question H-0857/00 by Mr Ebner during question time at the November 2000
session of Parliament (1) and to its comments during the debate on climate change at the second October
session on 25 October 2000 (2) and during the debate on the floods in Europe at the November session, on
16 November 2001 (1).

In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity and for reasons of proportionality it is not for the
Commission to draw up any rules instructing regions to forward detailed hydrological risk maps for each
municipality.

The Commission watched this disaster closely as it developed and offered assistance in the form of its own
expertise and coordination of the national emergency teams. It would remind the Honourable Member that
in September 2000 it adopted a proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community mechanism for
the coordination of civil protection intervention in the event of emergencies (3) which will make it possible
to mobilise operational resources and take rapid action to help a Member State facing an emergency
situation.

(1) Debates of the European Parliament (November 2000).
(2) Debates of the European Parliament (October 2000).
(3) COM(2000) 593 final.

(2001/C 151 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3436/00

by Generoso Andria (PPE-DE), Stefano Zappal(cid:224) (PPE-DE),
Giuseppe Nistic(cid:242) (PPE-DE), Vitaliano Gemelli (PPE-DE)
and Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Beet growing

Beet growers in the south of Italy have benefited from national subsidies within the meaning of the
Community regulation which expires at the end of the current 2000-2001 year. Those sugar refineries
Incoronata, Termoli and Villosar) employ 1 600
(Celano, Foggia,
which have remained operational
permanent and seasonal workers,
in addition to which there are around 2000 workers in induced
employment.

Clearly, productivity is inadequate (60 q of sugar per hectare) and will need to be improved through
structural changes, in particular:

(a) development of water resources and of irrigation techniques;

(b)

improvement projects in the agro-economic sector;

(c)

coordination and wider use of modern technology.

Could the Commission defer the proposal to amend the regulation on the common organisation of the
market in sugar seeking to abolish national aid to beet growing in southern regions?