WRITTEN QUESTION E-0429/03 by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission. Promoting social dialogue and drawing up a statute for fishermen.
Date: 2003-02-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: fisherman, labour law, occupational status, social dialogue (EU), working conditions

C 222 E/202

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

By mobilising the 2002 budget emergency reserve at the end of 2002, and the 2003 budget from the food
security budget line, the Commission committed substantial amounts at an early stage in response to the
crisis affecting Ethiopia. Thanks to this contribution (275 000 tonnes from the Community for 2003), and
particularly the contributions from the United States (262 000 tonnes) and the United Kingdom
(70 000 tonnes), the country’s food aid requirements are estimated to be covered for the first half of 2003.

For the second half of the year, the Commission has reserved EUR 20 million for food aid operations for
Ethiopia to be implemented through the World Food Programme, non-governmental organisations and the
ICRC.

If the nutritional status of the populations were to deteriorate, additional ECHO allocations could be
considered.

If drought persists in Ethiopia in 2003, and donor response is inadequate, we could also consider drawing
on the emergency reserve of the 2003 budget for humanitarian aid operations and food aid operations.

In budgetary terms, the response to short term requirements must not jeopardise the Commission’s
medium and long term food security operations in Ethiopia: EUR 60 million worth of programmes and
projects are in progress under the food security budget line and EUR 54 million programmed under the
9th European Development Fund (EDF), as food security was selected as a priority sector for cooperation
with this country.

(2003/C 222 E/230)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0429/03

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(18 February 2003)

Subject: Promoting social dialogue and drawing up a statute for fishermen

In its resolution of 16 January 2003 on fisheries in international waters in the context of external action
under the common fisheries policy, the European Parliament insisted on the need to guarantee the
labour rights of all fishermen: fair pay, safety, proper rest periods, union representation,
fundamental
welfare benefits and collective negotiation of labour contracts. Parliament called on the Commission to
promote greater social dialogue with a view to the creation of better-quality jobs and the drawing-up of a
statute for fishermen which would take account of the specific characteristics of their occupation.

What measures will the Commission take to promote social dialogue in order to improve the quality of
jobs in the fisheries sector and, possibly, draw up a statute for fishermen?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 March 2003)

The situation of fishermen from third countries employed on board Community vessels has been examined
by the social partners (Europêche (Association of National Organisations of Fishing Enterprises in the EU),
the General Committee for Agricultural Cooperation in the EU (Cogeca-Fisheries) and the European
Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF)) within the Sectoral Dialogue Committee on Sea Fishing with a view
to drawing up a social clause to be included in fishing agreements with non-member countries.

The above social partners in the sea fishing sector adopted such a clause at their plenary meeting on
19 December 2001 and called on the Commission to insert it from now on in agreements it concludes
with non-member countries.

The clause seeks to ensure that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work together with on-board living and working conditions similar to those
enjoyed by EU fishermen apply automatically to fishermen from third countries employed on board
Community vessels.

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/203

The Commission is intending to include the social clause agreed with the social partners systematically in
all future negotiations on fisheries matters with non-member countries.

In addition, the above social partners meet regularly within the Sectoral Dialogue Committee set up by the
Commission to carry out the work programme drawn up following the Commission Communication on
‘The European social dialogue, a force for innovation and change’ (1) to contribute to the implementation
of the Lisbon strategy.

(1) COM(2002) 341 final.

(2003/C 222 E/231)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0437/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 February 2003)

Subject: Concrete, glass or plastic panels on the exterior of new high-rise offices and flats working loose

and falling off

1.
Is the Commission aware that many of the new office buildings and blocks of flats built over the past
few years have exterior cladding made of concrete, glass or plastic panels that are screwed or clipped on to
metal strips and that this supporting structure may give way as a result of wear or in a storm causing the
panels to crash to the ground without warning?

2.
Is it possible to eliminate completely the risks of using panels of this kind by any construction
technique or related building regulations issued by the authorities responsible, given that they may cause
fatal injury and result in the area around a building being closed off for safety reasons for a long period?

3.
Is it the case that cladding panels work loose and fall off relatively more frequently in some Member
States of the EU than in others? In which Member States does this pose the greatest problem and where
does it occur least often? Can this be explained by differences in sunshine, temperature, rainfall and acid
rain, or is it due to differences in legislation and insurance?

Do any EU Member States already apply rules requiring owners to pay damages, or policies to
4.
prevent the construction of new buildings with exterior cladding, or to phase-out existing cladding panels?

Does the Commission believe there are grounds for promoting a structured exchange of expertise

5.
between EU Member States to prevent accidents involving panels as far as possible in the future?

6.
Does the Commission believe it is necessary to introduce minimum safety standards for buildings at
EU level in order to prevent accidents involving cladding panels? Are there grounds for an import ban on
building components of this kind from outside the Union?

7. What else is the Commission doing to promote the safety of buildings and their environment in the
Union as far as the working loose of heavy components is concerned?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(18 March 2003)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member’s concerns for the safety of European citizens as regards
the safety of buildings and civil engineering works.