WRITTEN QUESTION E-1800/02 by Maria Sanders-ten Holte (ELDR) to the Council. Ratification of Montreal Convention for the unification of certain rules for international carriage by air.
Date: 2002-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, air safety, air transport, international instrument, international standard, liability, ratification of an agreement, transport company

C 52 E/102

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

(2003/C 52 E/114)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1787/02

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council

Subject: Proposals to reform the EU Council Presidency

(24 June 2002)

A number of proposals have been put forward recently, during the Spanish Presidency, to replace the
present arrangements relating to the EU Council Presidency with another system in which the Presidency
would be formed jointly by various Member States (cid:1) or at least by those states with larger populations (cid:1)
for a period of several years.

These proposals have been made at a time when the Convention is about to discuss the reform of the
Treaties, with a view to drawing up a European constitution, which will also involve determining the
structure of the institutions, including the Council itself, and the relationship between them.

It is therefore surely more appropriate for the proposals currently being discussed by the Council on its
own structure to be formally submitted to the Convention as suggestions to be freely considered in its
discussions.

What do the various proposals which the Council
is currently considering actually involve? What
arrangements have been made between the Council and the Convention with a view to discussing this
fundamental issue while ensuring that the Convention’s prerogatives are fully respected?

Reply

(5 November 2002)

The report on measures to prepare the Council for enlargement which the Presidency submitted to the
Seville European Council did not present specific proposals regarding replacement of the present Council
Presidency system but simply noted the main proposals put forward on the subject so far, while stressing
that they were not binding on any delegation and were not exhaustive.

That is why the European Council restricted itself, as regards the Presidency system (apart from some
practical administrative measures not requiring Treaty amendments), to taking note of the current debate
as set out in the report, noting a general readiness to examine the question further and asking the future
Danish Presidency to take appropriate steps to continue discussions with a view to an initial report to the
European Council in December 2002.

In these circumstances and in the absence of specific proposals, the question of the nature of the relations
that could be established between the Council and the Convention for the examination of such proposals
does not arise. However, the Council will be sure, in any future initiatives, to respect scrupulously the role
and responsibilities of the Convention as defined by the Laeken Declaration.

(2003/C 52 E/115)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1800/02

by Maria Sanders-ten Holte (ELDR) to the Council

(24 June 2002)

Subject: Ratification of Montreal Convention for the unification of certain rules for international carriage

by air

The Member States signed the Montreal Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International
Carriage by Air on 28 May 1999 and the Council has indicated that the Community would deposit the 15
ratification instruments together by the end of 2002 in order to avoid any discrepancy between Member
States.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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The critical mass for the entry into force of the Convention is 30 Contracting Parties of which 18 have
already been registered which means that the 15 Member States could by themselves activate the new
global standards on better air passenger protection by completing the ratification process.

Ratification of the Convention by all Member States is also linked to the entry into force of the
Community Regulation amending Regulation (EC) 2027/97 (1) on air carrier liability.

Can the Council indicate the state of progress in each Member State for the completion of the ratification
process of the Montreal Convention by the end of 2002 and whether it is on target to enable this
international instrument to enter into force at the end of the year?

(1) OJ L 285, 17.10.1997, p. 1.

Reply

(11 November 2002)

At its meeting in Luxembourg on 4/5 April 2001, the Council adopted the Decision on the conclusion of
the Montreal Convention by the Community.

The adoption of this Decision was accompanied by Conclusions, where the Council recommends Member
States to ratify the Montreal Convention as soon as their national constitutional requirements permit, with
the aim of co-ordinated deposition of instruments no later than 31 December 2002.

The process of ratification has begun in all Member States and some have already completed it.

(2003/C 52 E/116)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1813/02

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 June 2002)

Subject: CITES

Is it the Commission’s intention to press at the next opportunity to have the basking shark listed as having
priority status as an endangered species under the CITES?

If so, how strongly does the Commission rate its chances of success?

Are there any steps which the European Parliament, parliaments in Member States, or individual
parliamentarians should take with a view to improving the chances of success?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2002)

As the Community is not yet a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES), the Commission does not have the authority to make proposals of its own.

Instead, proposals are brought forward by a Member State having been endorsed by all other Member
States prior to their submission to the CITES Secretariat. They are then submitted to the Secretariat by the
relevant Member State ‘on behalf of the Member States of the European Community’.