WRITTEN QUESTION E-1853/01 by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission. Carriage of dangerous goods by sea.
Date: 2001-06-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Mediterranean Sea, common transport policy, maritime transport, transport of dangerous goods, transport safety

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/123

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2001)

The Conference on Lithuania(cid:146)s Accession to the Union decided at its meeting on 11/12 June 2001 to
provisionally close the negotiation chapter on fisheries.

The negotiations on this chapter did, however, not concern trade issues. In the pre-accession framework,
the Commission and Lithuania have already concluded technical discussions with a calendar for full
liberalisation.

Lithuania fully accepts the acquis on the Common Fisheries Policy, including the principles of exclusive
Community competence, equal access to waters and relative stability.

This means that, upon accession, fishermen from Lithuania and other Member States for which quotas
have been fixed in the Baltic Sea can fish in the enlarged Community waters, with certain limitations on
access within 12 nautical miles of baselines.

Towards the end of the accession negotiations with Lithuania, the relative stability that will apply for
Lithuania as a Member State will be fixed on the basis of a reference period, recent and representative of
Lithuanian activities in Community waters, as well as waters of third countries and in waters covered by
regional fisheries organisations.

(2002/C 40 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1853/01

by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission

(26 June 2001)

Subject: Carriage of dangerous goods by sea

On 12 December 1999 the oil tanker (cid:145)Erika(cid:146) broke up off Brittany, contaminating more than 450 km of
the French coast. It is a deplorable fact that accidents resulting from the carriage of toxic and dangerous
goods by sea occur regularly everywhere.

In the Mediterranean area, toxic goods such as oil are routinely carried by sea.

The Balearic Islands rely on tourism for over 80 % of their GDP. Apart from the irreparable environmental
costs, another disaster of the (cid:145)Erika(cid:146) type would destroy the economy of a region like the Balearics, one of
Europe(cid:146)s main tourist destinations.

What information does the Commission have about the carriage of toxic or dangerous goods in the
Mediterranean? What does it intend to do about this kind of carriage, bearing in mind the high risk
involved and the fact that, for economic reasons, the peoples living on the shores of the Mediterranean
need the environment to be as clean as possible?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2001)

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member of the importance of safety of maritime transport,
in particular of transport of dangerous and toxic goods, such as oil and chemicals, as a means of
protecting the marine environment, as well as protecting the coastal zones.
the
Commission presented two packages of proposals in 2000. The (cid:145)Erika I(cid:146) proposals (1), includes proposals
for strengthening of the Port State Control Directive 95/21/EC, on improvements of common rules for
classification societies and the role of maritime administrations (revision Council Directive 94/57/EEC) and

In that respect,

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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14.2.2002

proposals for a Regulation on the accelerated phasing out of single-hull oil tankers. The (cid:145)Erika II(cid:146)
proposals (2)
include a proposals for a Directive establishing a Community monitoring, control and
information system for maritime traffic, a Regulation establishing an European oil pollution damage
compensation fund and a Regulation establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency.

The Commission systematically collects data from Member States on the weight and nature of goods
transported to and from Community ports, according to Council Directive 95/64/EC (3) on the (cid:145)statistical
returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea(cid:146). The data received is however not yet of a
character to enable a full overview of the transport of dangerous goods in the Mediterranean. The
Commission furthermore supports a project in the framework of the Euromed co-operation to improve
the statistics on goods transported by sea in the Mediterranean.

Through Council Directive 93/75/EEC (4) concerning (cid:145)minimum requirements for vessels bound for or
leaving Community ports and carrying dangerous and polluting goods(cid:146)(Hazmat Directive), vessels carrying
dangerous cargo bound for or leaving Community ports are required to report to the competent authority
of those states the nature of such goods, their quantity and location on board. Discussions within the
institutions are on-going to broaden and to improve the effectiveness of this reporting regime (5).

is also the intention to impose the mandatory carriage of Automatic Identification System(AIS)

It
transponders and Voyage Data Recorders(VDRs) to all ships sailing to and from Community ports.

A more accurate collection, recording and evaluation of data on maritime safety will be undertaken by the
future European Maritime Safety Agency (6). One of the tasks of this Agency is to provide the Commission
and the Member States with objective, reliable and comparable information and data on maritime safety to
enable them to take the necessary steps to improve maritime safety.

(1) COM(2000) 142 final.
(2) COM(2000) 802 final.
(3) Council Directive 95/46 of 8 December 1995 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers

by sea (OJ L 320, 30.12.1995).

(4) Council Directive 93/75/EC of 13 September 1993 concerning minimum requirements for vessels bound for or
leaving Community ports and carrying dangerous or polluting goods (OJ L 247, 5.10.1993). Directive as last
amended by Commission Directive 98/74/EC (OJ L 276, 13.10.1998).

(5) COM(2000) 802 final (cid:129) 2000/0325 (COD).
(6) COM(2000) 802 (cid:129) 2000/0327 (COD).

(2002/C 40 E/124)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1855/01

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(27 June 2001)

Subject: Premiums for beef and veal (Germany)

As part of its revision of the common organisation of the market in beef and veal, the Commission has
decided to apply the limit value of 90 ABU per holding and age category more stringently when allocating
the special premium, partly in order to reduce the production incentive and to stabilise the beef and veal
market. The number of animals eligible for payment of the premium is determined on the basis of the
stocking density of adult bovine units per hectare.

Can the Commission indicate:

(cid:129) whether, in future, it intends to introduce the limit value of 90 ABU for all direct payment schemes;

(cid:129) how many holdings in Germany currently exceed that limit;