WRITTEN QUESTION E-3762/02 by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Communication COM(2002) 681 final.
Date: 2002-12-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: maritime safety, petroleum product, prevention of pollution, tanker, transport statistics

C 161 E/138

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

10.7.2003

(2003/C 161 E/140)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3745/02

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(20 December 2002)

Subject: Random road safety checks

Could the Commission indicate the state of transposition and implementation of Directive 2000/30/EC (1)
providing for random roadside tests of commercial vehicles to ensure their conformity with the
roadworthiness of vehicles directive (96/96/EC (2)) and what action it proposes to take against offending
Member States?

(1) OJ L 203, 10.8.2000, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 46, 17.2.1997, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2003)

Directive 2000/30/EC of the parliament and of the Council of 6 June 2000, on the technical roadside
inspection of the roadworthiness of commercial vehicles circulating in the Community, requires Member
States to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary for them to comply
with the Directive no later than 10 August 2002.

By December 2002 seven Member States: Germany, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal and the
United Kingdom, had not notified the Commission of their legislation that brought the Directive into force.
Therefore, the Commission has sent to each one of them a ‘reasoned opinion’ for failing to do so.

(2003/C 161 E/141)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3762/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(23 December 2002)

Subject: Communication COM(2002) 681 final

The Commission announced on 3 December 2002,
its
intention to submit a proposal prohibiting single-hull tankers over 15 years old passing through European
waters as of 2010.

in its communication COM(2002) 681 final,

Can the Commission say how many single-hull tankers there currently are (worldwide) over 7 years old,
i.e. which were built in 1995?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(10 February 2003)

Following the proposals made by the Commission in its communication of 3 December 2002 (1), the
Transport Council of 6 December 2002 indicated its desire for single hull tankers carrying heavy oils to be
banned from EU ports.

On 20 December 2002, the Commission sent Parliament and the Council a proposal for a regulation (2)
prohibiting the transport of heavy oil products in single hull tankers leaving or bound for ports of the
Union and to speed up the timetable for phasing out single hull tankers adopted as part of the Erika II
package. The two institutions were asked to examine the text as a matter of urgency with a view to its
being adopted at the Transport Council of 27 March 2003.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Figures obtained from the international databases (including the Lloyds Register/Fairplay database of oil
tankers (3) of more than 5 000 tonnes deadweight at mooring) show that over 2 000 single hull tankers
built before 1995 are still sailing. The bulk of these are ships of less than 20 000 tonnes.

(1) COM(2002) 681 final.
(2) COM(2002) 780 final.
(3) Oil tankers: tankers as defined by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) (cf. International Convention for

the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol)).

(2003/C 161 E/142)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3763/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(23 December 2002)

Subject: Safety of shipping

A study by the Paris MOU concerning port state control highlights the chaotic situation in the European
Union. For example, while Italy inspects almost one in every two ships which pass through its ports,
France inspects only one in ten. Moreover, the latter has played a leading role in the movement to bar
single-hull tankers over 15 years old from the economic exclusion zone.

What measures will the Commission take, therefore, to harmonise port state control of vessels in order to
improve the safety of shipping?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(10 February 2003)

As the Honourable Member has noted, the annual statistics published by the Secretariat of the Paris
Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control show major disparities in inspection rates between
States. However, this does not mean that the situation is chaotic.

The rules on port State control were harmonised at Community level by Council Directive 95/21/EC of
19 June 1995 concerning the enforcement, in respect of shipping using Community ports and sailing in
the waters under the jurisdiction of the Member States, of international standards for ship safety, pollution
prevention and shipboard living and working conditions (1).

This Directive was reinforced following the Erika accident,
inter alia by introducing a procedure for
banning ships which have been detained on several occasions over the previous two or three years and
which appear on the ‘black list’ of flags with a higher than average number of detentions. These changes to
Directive 95/21/EC will enter into force at the end of July 2003.

The Commission attaches particular importance to compliance with the rules on port State control, and
has reminded the Member States several times of their obligations in this area, most recently in its
communication of 3 December 2002 (2). It has urged them to recruit enough inspectors to check at least
25 % of ships, as required by the Directive. It has also asked them to achieve a sufficient level of inspection
in all their ports and anchorage areas to prevent them becoming ‘ports of convenience’.

Within the limits of its jurisdiction, the Commission intends to use all legal means to ensure the strict
application of the aforementioned rules. Accordingly, it has instituted proceedings before the Court of
Justice against France and Ireland for failure to meet the 25 % inspection requirement.

(1) OJ L 157, 7.7.1995.
(2) COM(2002) 681 final.