WRITTEN QUESTION E-0418/03 by Mary Banotti (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EU bottle size legislation.
Date: 2003-02-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: alcoholic beverage, packaging product, single market, technical regulations

C 268 E/100

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

(2003/C 268 E/100)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0413/03

by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 February 2003)

Subject: Adequacy of oil clean-up capacities in the EU’s maritime regions

In the light of the enquiries which I have made to the appropriate authorities of all the countries bordering
the Baltic Sea (including current and future Member States as well as Russia), it appears to be the case that
every Baltic coastal state has equipment of some description to clean up oil but the actual clean-up
capacity in the Baltic region is in practice impossible to gauge, given the wind, ice, and other conditions
prevailing at sea. For example, when routine damage occurs an attempt can be made to remove oil-
covered ice mechanically, by means of dredgers, but the capacity to carry out even that operation is
insufficient when a tanker breaks up. The overall picture which has emerged from my enquiries seems to
suggest that, even if conditions were relatively good, oil would not start to be cleared until it had been
washed ashore, because there would in fact not be enough equipment available for any other option, even
under favourable circumstances.

The situation is presumably similar in other EU maritime regions.

Has the Commission considered whether it might catalogue oil clean-up capacities in the EU’s maritime
regions, using standard assessment procedures, and,
lay down or recommend minimum
capacities for the different regions, taking into account the specific conditions and traffic volumes in the
areas concerned?

if necessary,

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2003)

In the context of the Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine
pollution (Decision No 2850/2000/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2000 (1)), a
Community Information System (CIS) for the purpose of exchanging data on the preparedness for and
response to marine pollution has been established. The Commission, in collaboration with Member States,
has defined the format of the national pages of the CIS. The CIS is open to national competent authorities
and to public at the following website: http://europa.eu.int/marpol-cis

In case of accidents, Member States and Candidate Countries can activate the Community Mechanism to
facilitate reinforced cooperation in Civil Protection assistance interventions. In this way, any affected
country can have immediate access, through the European Response Centre, to all specialised equipment
available in Europe.

Moreover, concerning the preparedness and response to marine pollution in the different regional seas
around Europe, the Commission closely follows the works of the competent working groups. In particular,
for the Baltic Sea, the Commission participates to the works of the working groups of the Helsinki
Commission (Helcom), which are set up by the Helsinki Convention.

(1) OJ L 332, 28.12.2000.

(2003/C 268 E/101)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0418/03

by Mary Banotti (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 February 2003)

Subject: EU bottle size legislation

Is the Commission considering the deregulation of packaging legislation, and what measures will the
Commission take regarding the present mandatory spirit bottle size, given the concerns of the European
spirits industry should such deregulation apply to the mandatory spirit bottle range?

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/101

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 2003)

Following the exercise Simplification of Legislation on the Internal Market IV (SLIM)
in relation to
Community legislation on pre-packaging, the Commission has carried out an extended Business Impact
Assessment. Part of this exercise is an Internet consultation, based on a publicly available working paper,
by which the Commission seeks the input of stakeholders, so as to come to a final position.

This consultation has just been finished, and the Commission is now in the process of analysing the
results. As already indicated in the contacts with stakeholders, the Commission will keep them informed of
their findings and the possibility will be offered to further discuss any matters before the Commission
formulates a final position.

(2003/C 268 E/102)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0448/03

by José Mendiluce Pereiro (PSE), Jean Lambert (Verts/ALE)
and Inger Schörling (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 February 2003)

Subject: Granting of oil prospecting permits

from the Atlantic off

the coasts of Lanzarote and

Fuerteventura

Spanish Royal Decree 1462/2000 (1) granted Repsol Investigaciones Petrolíferas, S.A. (RIPSA) hydrocarbon
prospecting permits for the Atlantic off the coast of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, for a six year period.
These are new areas, classified respectively as Canarias 1 to Canarias 9, covering 616 060 hectares. The
permits have been granted pursuant to Law 34/1998 of 7 October, on the hydrocarbons sector. The only
documentation, other than plans and references, submitted by the company when requesting permits, was
its ‘programme of work and investment’. Repsol submitted no research project whatever, nor an
impact assessment, nor any memorandum of any kind on environmental protection
environmental
measures. Royal Decree 1462/2001,
regarding the
environment. The prospecting permits concern international waters, and involve an activity which,
pursuant to international treaties and agreements, is specifically subject to prior assessment of environ-
mental impact. To all this we need to add the fact that the island of Lanzarote has been declared to be a
Biosphere Reserve (2).

furthermore, contains no conditions whatever

Installing platforms represents a high risk to fisheries and biodiversity both of the marine environment and
the Canary coast, and would, inevitably, be a negative development as far as tourism is concerned. As for
their proposed location, the grids are only a few kilometres from various Special Bird Protection Areas and
Sites of Community Importance (3). Both Directive 97/11/EC (4) of 3 March 1997 and Royal Decree-Law
9/2000 of 6 October make it obligatory to carry out an environmental impact assessment for all oil and
natural gas extraction projects for commercial purposes.

Does the Commission not believe that Royal Decree 1462/2001 infringes Directive 97/11/EC since the
the environmental
decision to grant permits was not preceded by a transparent assessment of
repercussions of the prospecting permits, exploratory activities and drilling activities?

Can the Commission guarantee that the Sites of Community Importance listed above are not affected by
these prospecting permits, and that the Spanish Government will apply Article 6 of Directive 92/43/EEC (5),