WRITTEN QUESTION E-2185/02 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Establishment of a pan-European air traffic control system.
Date: 2002-07-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: air safety, air space, air traffic control, air transport, common transport policy, organisation of transport

C 52 E/136

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

for purely budgetary purposes the Commission has tried to estimate what would be the
However,
maximum additional financing required at Community level. To make this estimate, it has assumed that
the funds initially programmed but not yet used by each Member State to support vessel exportation and
joint enterprise formation would probably be re-allocated to definitive withdrawal under the special vessel-
scrapping scheme. Funding originally for new vessel construction but not yet used by the same Member
State could go to mitigating the socio-economic impact of vessel withdrawal.

On these assumptions, the Commission estimates that a maximum of EUR 272 million might be needed
for the fleet special scheme and a maximum of EUR 88 million for flanking socio-economic assistance. It
anticipates that if implementing the effort reductions arising from the multiannual management plans were
to require extra money, a maximum of EUR 32 million could be provided from the special flexibility
instrument in 2003 and that beyond that a Member State could resort to reprogramming its Structural
Fund resources in the light of its other regional policy and cohesion priorities.

Since these are just estimates of additional needs that might result from decisions still to be taken at
Member State level, there has clearly been no way of allocating additional resources to individual Member
States, although it is apparent that the northern countries would tend to need most of the additional
support.

Turning finally to any cushioning socio-economic action that may be necessary, it will be up to each
Member State to decide in the course of reprogramming what resources it wishes to allocate to measures
already covered by Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 and what, if any, resources could go to other measures
of this type that the Council might introduce when negotiating on the Commission’s proposals.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 1263/1999 on the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG).
(2) COM(2002) 187 final.
(3) Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down detailed rules and arrangements

regarding Community structural assistance in the fishery sector.

(4) Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds.
(5) Council Decision 97/413/EC of 26 June 1997 on objectives and detailed rules for restructuring the Community
fisheries sector during the period 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2001 in the aim of achieving a sustainable
balance between resources and their exploitation, OJ L 175, 3.7.1997. Amended by Decision 2002/70/EC of
28 June 2002, OJ L 31, 1.2.2002.

(6) COM(2002) 181 final.

(2003/C 52 E/156)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2185/02

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 July 2002)

Subject: Establishment of a pan-European air traffic control system

I refer to my Written Question E-2733/00 (1) dated 1 September 2000 on the establishment of a pan-
European air traffic control system and to the answer, dated 5 October 2000, given by Mrs de Palacio on
behalf of the Commission. Given that the mid-air collision over Lake Constance, which occurred during
the night of 1 July and in which 71 people were killed, could probably have been prevented if a pan-
European air traffic control system had been in operation, would the Commission indicate:

1. whether or not it takes the view that, in the light of that disaster, a pan-European air traffic control
system should be established as rapidly as possible, even in the face of the resistance put up by the
pampered clique of air traffic controllers,

2. what stage has been reached in the ‘Single European Airspace’ project, which the Commission began

in 1999, and,

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/137

3. what legislative measures exist in general in the EU in this field and, in particular, which ones may
come into consideration in connection with the activities of the high-level group (referred to in Mrs de
Palacio’s answer) to which representatives of the civil aviation sector in the Member States belong and
which is responsible for advising the Commission about the direction to be taken when reforming air
traffic control?

(1) OJ C 113 E, 18.4.2001, p. 160.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(3 October 2002)

The Commission has made safety one of its priorities in the transport sector and has already implemented
a raft of measures designed to increase air transport safety. In particular, the Commission plans to look
into whether transferring air safety activities to the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) would
improve air safety in Europe.

With regard to air safety, the Commission in October and December 2001 submitted to the Parliament
and the Council four legislative proposals (1) with a view to establishing the single European sky: a
regulation on the creation of the single European sky, a regulation on the provision of air navigation
services, a regulation on the organisation and use of airspace and a regulation on interoperability. These
proposals are intended to improve the organisation of air navigation while maintaining and improving
safety levels. Both the Commission and the Member States are constantly restating the need for safety. It is
an area of particular interest in all discussions. The Commission is convinced, furthermore, that the
fragmentation between systems (currently the rule in Europe when moving from the airspace of one
Member State to another) is a significant factor increasing risks and hence compromising safety. The
proposals creating the single European sky will improve the safety of air traffic management by reducing
the fragmentation between systems.

The proposals are still before the Council and the Parliament, but the Barcelona European Council called
on the co-legislators to adopt the proposals quickly in order to make it possible to create the single
European sky by the end of 2004.

In September, the plenary part-session of the European Parliament (3 September 2002) voted at first
reading in favour of the single sky package, by and large endorsing the Commission’s approach.

(1) COM(2001) 123 final and COM(2001) 564 final.

(2003/C 52 E/157)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2204/02

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission

(22 July 2002)

Subject: Freedom of expression and the Internet

Following the publication on 25 October 2000 of a report in the ‘Osservatore Romano’ (cid:1) the daily
newspaper of the Roman Curia (cid:1) of an article on ‘blasphemous’ websites, the Italian financial police, after
about two years’ investigations, has ordered the shutdown of five US-based Internet sites.

Does not the Commission consider that these provisions are contrary to freedom of expression, as
guaranteed by the international instruments concerning human rights, in particular Articles 6 and 7 of the
Treaty on European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights? If so, what steps does it intend to take?