WRITTEN QUESTION E-1676/01 by Jaime Valdivielso de Cué (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Shipbuilding industry.
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: South Korea, common commercial policy, dumping, sectoral aid, shipbuilding, trade dispute

C 350 E/208

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

On 11 April 2001, the Danish authorities notified the training side of the scheme. They claim that the
training grant is administered as a so-called general measure and therefore does not constitute State aid.
For a measure to be a general measure, it must not favour certain enterprises or the production of certain
goods, there may be no sectoral or regional limits or preferences, the State may not have any discretionary
powers, and there may not be any budgetary restrictions. The Commission is currently investigating
whether all these criteria are fulfilled in the present case and has requested the necessary additional
information from the Danish authorities. Once all
the information has been submitted, and the
notification can be considered to be complete, the Commission has two months to adopt a final decision.
The decision can then be found, in Danish, at the following internet address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/
secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/.

(1) OJ C 334, 12.12.1995.

(2001/C 350 E/228)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1672/01

by Jacqueline Foster (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Defibrillators on short haul flights

Could the Commission confirm whether there is any EU initiative currently in progress relating to the
carrying of life saving equipment (with particular reference to the availability of defibrillators on short-haul
flights) on civil aircraft carrying passengers?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(20 July 2001)

The obligation to carry defibrillators on commercial aircraft is among the operational requirements which
may be imposed on aircraft operators.

The Commission has placed a proposal before Parliament and the Council for the adoption of operational
requirements for the commercial exploitation of aircraft (1) but it does not include such an obligation.

As the Honourable Member is aware, the Commission has based its proposal on the work of the Joint
Aviation Authorities (JAA) and has emphasised that it does not wish to call the experts(cid:146) conclusions with
regard to safety into question. A large number of Members of Parliament supported this viewpoint during
the debates on the above proposal.

Now that the US Administration has adopted a regulation requiring defibrillators to be carried on some
commercial aircraft, the subject will be coming up for discussion within the JAA. The Commission will
take account of the conclusions with a view to possibly amending its proposal.

(1) OJ C 311, 31.10.2000.

(2001/C 350 E/229)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1676/01

by Jaime Valdivielso de CuØ (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Shipbuilding industry

On 8 May 2001 the Commission at last proposed, in view of the unfair competition which has been
practised for years now by South Korea, as described in its fourth report on the industry, that the matter
should be brought before the WTO on 30 June.

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/209

Also proposed is the immediate adoption of aid for this long-suffering industry, to a maximum of 14 % for
the affected sections. Aid had been suspended on 31 December 2000.

What compensation will be granted to enterprises in this sector for the damage suffered between
31 December 2000 and the present, given that almost no orders have been registered and the Union(cid:146)s
industry has been left totally at the mercy of South Korea(cid:146)s unfair competition?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(30 July 2001)

As pointed out by the Honourable Member in his question, there has been a low ordering activity for ships
the first months of this year in the Community. However, this can to a large extent be explained by a very
large ordering activity at the end of last year linked to the abolition of operating aid. The Commission
cannot see any need for compensating the yards for this effect on the timing of orders. Furthermore, the
reduced ordering activity in 2001 has not only been noted in the Community but also elsewhere. E.g.
South Korean yards are reported to have registered a 32,6 % drop in orders the first quarter of 2001
compared to the same period last year.

The Commission is actively pursuing all possible means to reach a normal situation in the world
shipbuilding market. The Commission is thus negotiating with the South Korean government in order to
reach a stable solution, which should ensure normal prices on the world market. The Commission is in
parallel preparing a World Trade Organisation (WTO) action against
illegal Korean subsidies and
a temporary defensive mechanism for Community yards. The WTO action against Korea will be launched,
and the temporary defensive mechanism will be proposed to the Council and Parliament if the negotiations
with Korea fail.

(2001/C 350 E/230)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1694/01

by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: White paper on youth policy

Negotiations have been under way for several years between the Commission and European youth
organisations with a view to producing a white paper. The purpose of the white paper is to act as a guide
when European youth policy is implemented. Why has no white paper on European youth policy been
produced?

How does the Commission intend to take an active part in drawing up a uniform European youth policy?

(2001/C 350 E/231)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1733/01

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

Subject: White paper on EU youth policies

(14 June 2001)

In September 1999, Commissioner Viviane Reding informed Parliament of her intention to bring out
a white paper on the EU(cid:146)s youth policies. This initiative was formally presented at a meeting of the Council
of Ministers for Youth in November 1999.

The prospect of this white paper has raised hopes and expectations in the youth organisations of Europe,
who have expressed their trust in the Commission.