WRITTEN QUESTION E-0234/03 by Gerardo Galeote Quecedo (PPE-DE)and Juan Ojeda Sanz (PPE-DE) to the Council. Double-hull vessels for the transport of hydrocarbons.
Date: 2003-02-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Gibraltar, competence of the Member States, maritime safety, oil pollution, ports policy, prevention of pollution, tanker

C 222 E/168

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

Does the Council not consider that the date of 2004 is too far away to promote the simplification of
existing procedures and cutting of red tape involved in some Member States, including Italy, for obtaining
authorisation for treatment abroad?

Does the Council intend to take the necessary measures to extend Community jurisdiction in the sphere of
patient mobility?

Reply

(13 May 2003)

The Honourable Parliamentarian’s attention is drawn to the fact that the Council, at its meeting on
2/3 December 2002, did not adopt conclusions on patient mobility. Instead, the Council, at that meeting,
took note of Commissioner Byrne’s report on the ongoing high-level reflection process on patient mobility
and health care developments in the European Union, and,
in particular, on the development of an
organisational framework for such a process.

It is recalled that such process, which is still ongoing, was launched by the Conclusions of the Council and
of the representatives of the Member States meeting in the Council of 26 June 2002 on patient mobility
and health care developments in the European Union (1). The Council and the representatives of the
Member States meeting in the Council considered notably that there is a need to strengthen co-operation
in order to promote the greatest opportunities for access to health care of high quality while maintaining
the financial sustainability of healthcare systems in the European Union. The imminent enlargement of the
European Union makes this even more imperative. In addition, they further recognised that there would be
value in the Commission pursuing in close co-operation with the Council and all the Member States (cid:1)
particularly health ministers and other key stakeholders (cid:1) a high level process of reflection, closely co-
ordinated with relevant work ongoing in different fora, including action already initiated in the context of
the Lisbon process, which should aim at developing timely conclusions for possible further action.

(1) OJ C 183, 1.8.2002, p. 1.

(2003/C 222 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0234/03

by Gerardo Galeote Quecedo (PPE-DE)
and Juan Ojeda Sanz (PPE-DE) to the Council

(4 February 2003)

Subject: Double-hull vessels for the transport of hydrocarbons

The conclusions of the Council of Transport Ministers of 6 December 2002 stated that heavy grades of
hydrocarbons (heavy fuel, tar, bitumen and heavy crude oils) should only be transported in double-hull
tankers, and that the Member States would, through administrative agreements, undertake not to accept
single-hull tankers carrying the heaviest grades of hydrocarbons into their ports, terminals or anchorage
areas.

Some Member States are already adopting national measures to comply with this agreement. What plans
does the Greek Presidency have for spurring Member States to honour their commitment?

A specific case is to be found in Algeciras Bay, where Gibraltar is allowing the single-hull tanker
Vemamagna, with a capacity of 100 000 tonnes of fuel, to act as a floating fuel depot for other vessels just
600 metres from the Spanish shore.

Will the Greek Presidency contact the British authorities to call for strict implementation of Community
rules on the environment with regard to bunkering activities in Gibraltar and encourage them to comply
with the agreement prohibiting single-hull vessels?

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/169

Reply

(13 May 2003)

In Response to the accident of the oil tanker Prestige, the Council (Transport, Telecommunications, Energy)
adopted on 6 December 2002 Council conclusions on ships’ safety and pollution prevention. Among other
measures, the Council agreed that Member States, through administrative agreements, should undertake
not to accept single-hulled tankers carrying the heaviest grades of oil
into their ports, terminals or
anchorage areas.

The accomplishment of this agreement, as it stands in the Council conclusions, is to be achieved through
national measures and therefore lies within the competence of each Member State.

The European Council (Copenhagen, 12/13 December 2002) further underlined that the conclusions of the
Transport Council should be implemented in all their aspects without delay. The European Council will
address these questions again in March 2003, based on a report from the Commission.

The Council is currently examining a Commission proposal concerning the accelerated phasing-out of
single-hull tankers and a prohibition of the transport to or from ports of the Member States of heavy
grades of oil in single-hull tankers. The proposal was presented by the Commission on 27 December 2002
in response to the Council conclusions and goes further than said conclusions, in proposing a Community
framework for that prohibition.

As regards the presence of the Vemamagna in the Bay of Algeciras, the Council is not competent to
answer the issues raised.

(2003/C 222 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0235/03

by Isidoro Sánchez García (ELDR) to the Council

(4 February 2003)

Subject: Greek Council Presidency’s plans for the outermost regions

The exchange of views held in January 2003 between the European Parliament’s Committee on Regional
Policy, Transport and Tourism and the President-in-Office of the EU Ministers responsible for regional
policy established the need to focus on the regional diversity of the European Union.

In this context, what plans does the Greek Council Presidency’s work programme contain for the
outermost regions of the European Union?

(2003/C 222 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0352/03

by Jean-Claude Fruteau (PSE) to the Council

(6 February 2003)

Subject: Ultraperipheral regions

the Canary Islands,
The European Union has seven ultraperipheral
Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana and Réunion. These regions form a unique and remarkable part of the
Community’s territory, enshrined in Article 299(2) of the Amsterdam Treaty.

the Azores, Madeira,

regions:

regions suffer

from many geographical and natural handicaps (distance from
The ultraperipheral
continental Europe, difficult topography, small size, insularity and/or enclosed position), which consider-
ably hamper their economic development. As a result, six of the European Union’s ten least prosperous
regions are ultraperipheral regions.

What measures does the Greek Presidency intend to take for the benefit of these regions?