WRITTEN QUESTION E-0981/04 by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) and Guido Sacconi (PSE) to the Commission. Protection and conservation of the marine environment.
Date: 2004-03-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, environmental impact, environmental protection, impact study, marine ecosystem

C 88 E/262

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

The Commission is aware of the events to which the Honourable Member refers.

Under the revised Accession Partnership as adopted by the Council of Ministers on 19 May 2003, there is
a priority for Turkey to align civilian control of the military with practice in Member States.

In its last Regular Report of November 2003 (1), the Commission noted that ‘the Armed Forces in Turkey
exercise influence through a series of informal mechanisms. At various occasions, military members of the
National Security Council expressed their opinions about political, social and foreign policy matters in
public speeches, statements to the media and declarations.’

On 16 March 2004, the Turkish General Staff published a Statement concerning the above-mentioned
facts denying any intention of the army to give specific orders to compile any blacklist of people according
to their political view or lifestyle. The statement indicated however that it was the duty of the Armed
forces to carry out activities against ‘separatist and fundamentalist threats’. These facts triggered a debate in
the Turkish Parliament in the course of which the question was raised of the compatibility of this type of
intelligence gathering with the principle of freedom of thought.

The Commission will continue to follow the developments related to civil-military relations in Turkey in
light of the Copenhagen political criteria and where necessary raise it directly with the Turkish authorities.

(1) COM(2003) 676 final.

(2004/C 88 E/0267)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0981/04

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) and Guido Sacconi (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Protection and conservation of the marine environment

(30 March 2004)

On 19 June 2003 Parliament adopted a resolution on the Commission communication:
‘Towards a
strategy to protect and conserve the marine environment’ (P5_TA(2003)0295). In the resolution Members
called for greater integration of environmental protection considerations into decision-making processes
and for the protection and conservation of marine ecosystems, which are of vital
importance in
safeguarding biodiversity.

Parliament also called on the Commission to put forward, as soon as possible, a consistent and harmonised
thematic strategy on the marine environment, not least in view of the current critical state of some marine
ecosystems.

Can the Commission state whether, when it drew up the strategy, it took due account of the following:

(cid:1) the precautionary principle;

(cid:1) the concept of sustainability;

(cid:1) a strategic environmental assessment;

(cid:1) an integrated approach to address threats caused by all human activities affecting the marine
environment and a careful assessment of their impact on this environment and the mutual influence
and dependency of such impacts;

(cid:1) an integrated approach regarding coastal and offshore marine management;

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Official Journal of the European Union

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(cid:1) a regional approach taking into account regional diversities, ecological characteristics, threats and

socio-economic aspects;

(cid:1) strategic marine spatial planning for the regional seas covering the whole of the EU continental shelf,

which would introduce a plan-led approach to the sectoral decision-making systems?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

The Commission is currently in the process of drawing up a European Maríne Strategy. As part of this
process, a Stakeholder Conference will be organised jointly with the Dutch Presidency in November 2004.
Publication of the final proposal is foreseen in March 2005.

The main elements of the foreseen strategy will be a common approach for all European seas, combined
with:

(cid:1) a specific regional approach to enable regional problems and solutions to be addressed;

(cid:1) a holistic integrated approach to address all human uses impacting on the marine environment.

An essential element in the implementation of the strategy will be an ecosystem approach for the
management of human activities impacting on the marine environment which will take account of all the
elements mentioned in the Honourable Member’s written question.

(2004/C 88 E/0268)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0984/04

by Piia-Noora Kauppi (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 March 2004)

Subject: The role of tiredness in road accidents

According to the Finnish Road Safety Organisation (Suomen Liikenneturva), the statistics compiled by fatal
road accident investigation boards indicate that 12 % of head-on collisions with a fatal outcome are due to
drivers falling asleep. The true figure is likely to be higher still, as many accidents which are actually
caused by tiredness are attributed to some kind of error in the handling of the vehicle. A survey in Norway
has shown that as many as one third of all head-on collisions and run-off-the-road accidents were due in
one way or another to tiredness, whereas for example alcohol or drugs are involved in only 11 % of
accidents.

One of the priorities of the Commission’s transport policy is promoting transport safety. When seeking
practical ways of improving road safety, how will the Commission take account of the prevalence of
accidents caused by tiredness? Has the Commission investigated (cid:1) and if not, will it investigate (cid:1) the role
of tiredness in road accidents throughout the EU?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

The Commission is aware of the figures quoted by the Honourable Member which show that tiredness
plays an important role in road accidents.

Tiredness is an important consideration in the legislation on the working hours and the driving and rest
periods of professional drivers (1) for which the Commission has recently made several proposals, including
one on roadside inspections which is currently before Parliament and the Council (2).