European Parliament resolution on short sea shipping (2004/2161(INI))
Date: 2005-04-12
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: combined transport, common transport policy, maritime cabotage, maritime transport

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TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 27
Article 22a (new)

Article 22a

The European Police College established by this Decision shall
be the successor to the European Police College established by
Decision 2000/820/JHA. Continuity in administrative and
legal procedures commenced prior to the date on which this
Decision takes effect shall be ensured.

P6_TA(2005)0086

Short sea shipping

European Parliament resolution on short sea shipping (2004/2161(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its resolution of 7 July 2000 on the Commission communication to the Council, the
European Parliament,
the Regions
‘The Development of Short Sea Shipping in Europe: A Dynamic Alternative in a Sustainable Transport
Chain — Second Two-Yearly Progress Report’ (1),

the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of

— having regard to its resolution of 12 February 2003 on the Commission White Paper ‘European trans-

port policy for 2010: time to decide’ (2),

— having regard to the Commission White Paper ‘European transport policy for 2010: time to decide’

(COM(2001)0370 — C5-0658/2001),

— having regard to the Commission communication ‘Programme for the Promotion of Short Sea Ship-

ping’ (COM(2003)0155),

— having regard to the Commission communication on short sea shipping (COM(2004)0453),

— having regard to the Commission communication ‘Community guidelines on State aid to maritime

transport’ (C(2004)0043),

— having regard to the outcome of the informal Transport Council of 9 and 10 July 2004,

— having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A6-0055/2005),

A. whereas short sea shipping is the waterborne transport of cargo and passengers by sea or inland water-
way and part of the logistic transport chain in Europe and the regions connected to Europe, and
whereas short sea shipping is an integrated part of the logistic transport chain between supplier and
user and is a means of waterborne transport in geographical Europe whether intra-Community or
between the European Union and third countries, such as countries on the Mediterranean or on the
Black Sea,

B. whereas the newly conceived trans-European network of ‘Motorways of the Sea’, particularly the ‘Motor-
ways’ in the Baltic, Western Europe, South-East Europe and South-West Europe, should have the aim of
concentrating the movement of goods on maritime logistic routes in such a way as to improve existing
short sea shipping services or create new, viable, regular and frequent short sea shipping services for the
movement of goods and passengers between the Member States, so as to reduce road congestion and
improve transport links with peripheral or island regions and States,

(1) OJ C 121, 24.4.2001, p. 489.
(2) OJ C 43 E, 19.2.2004, p. 250.

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C. whereas short sea shipping, which accounts for more than 40 % of intra-Community traffic, forms an
integral part of the European transport system given that short sea shipping means the movement of
cargo and passengers by sea or inland waterway European ports or between those ports and ports
situated in non-European countries with a coastline on the enclosed seas bordering Europe,

D. whereas short sea shipping also offers significant potential for passenger transport,

E. whereas short sea shipping needs to be developed to fulfil its economic and commercial, social and
environmental role; whereas national governments, together with regional and local authorities, will
have to provide the necessary political, economic and financial support to achieve this goal, in coop-
eration with the industries involved,

F.

stressing that, in view of its potential in terms of compatibility with the environment, combating the
congestion affecting many roads, and limiting costs, short sea shipping is capable of becoming an even
more important link in the intermodal transport system in Europe, with a promising future, if a series
of Community, national, regional and local measures are taken by the public authorities and by the
private sector in order to develop it fully,

G. whereas short sea shipping has an important role to play in the economic and social development of all
European regions, particularly coastal regions and outlying maritime regions, and, consequently, for
Community cohesion,

H. whereas the development of short sea shipping also affords a unique opportunity to create hundreds of

thousands of jobs in the maritime sector in the years ahead,

I. whereas, by fostering trade, short sea shipping also promotes the social and economic growth of third
countries bordering the peripheral maritime regions and interested in links with the infrastructure of
the European transport network,

J.

reiterating the idea that, even though the maritime and logistical industry is chiefly responsible for
developing short sea shipping, intervention on the part of European, national and regional institutions
is nevertheless essential to create favourable conditions for such development; whereas there have been
some positive initiatives, such as the definition of national focal points, agreements on Community
legislation in relation to the Marco Polo programme and the simplified use of IMO-FAL forms (Inter-
national Maritime Organisation — Facilitation of international transport),

K. welcoming the regional initiatives to promote short sea shipping and create short sea shipping links,
such as the initiative for the Mediterranean region involving Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and Greece,
and the initiatives taken by Member States to promote and implement the concept of Motorways of the
Sea in the four areas defined by Decision No 884/2004/EC (1), in particular the initiatives in the Baltic
Sea region, the initiatives taken by the countries of the Mediterranean Arc including France, Spain,
Greece and Italy and the Atlantic Arc Commission,

1.
Calls for short sea shipping to be promoted more strongly as a credible, sustainable and safe link in
the European transport system which is well integrated in the transport chain thanks, for example, to inland
waterway transport and rail links, in order to reduce congestion; calls for the modal shift from road trans-
port to short sea shipping to be encouraged and for links to be improved with outlying and island areas and
states dependent on maritime transport and between regions separated by natural barriers, whilst streng-
thening cohesion within the European Union and between the Union and its neighbours;

2.
Calls for the administrative procedures which hinder the development of short sea shipping to be
reduced as much as possible without compromising aspects relating to security and safety, and particularly
procedures which disrupt the logistical process and weaken the competitive position of this mode of trans-
port by comparison with road transport; considers that procedures should be simplified and made easier, in
particular by making full use of electronic communication possibilities;

(1) Decision No 884/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 amending Decision
No 1692/96/EC on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (OJ L 167,
30.4.2004, p. 1).

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3.
Calls for the development of high-quality corridors for short sea shipping between European Union
Member States, with the full participation of all interested parties, public and private, where it is possible to
make appropriate use of the instruments recently created by the European Union, in particular those relat-
ing to the trans-European transport network and the Marco Polo programme;

4.
Calls for priority to be given to investment in infrastructure in order to improve access to ports from
both land and sea, including for example cross-border projects within the trans-European transport network;

Supports,

in this context, the Commission programmes aimed at simplifying the legal framework
5.
applying to short sea shipping and inland waterway transport, encouraging the creation of one-stop shops
organised under private or public law in accordance with the legal situation in each Member State by
simplifying administrative and customs formalities and through multimodal partnerships,
for example
between road hauliers and maritime carriers, which will also enable small and medium-sized undertakings
to take full advantage of intermodal transport;

Stresses the need for cooperation between all interested parties, both public and private, in promoting

6.
and developing the quality of short sea shipping operations at regional, national and European level;

7.
Stresses the potential of short sea shipping as a complementary mode of transport available very
quickly and at low cost pending completion of certain trans-European transport network railway infrastruc-
tures; stresses, for example, the pressing need for alternative means of transport between France and Spain
pending the opening, in about 2020, of a connection between Montpellier and Figueras;

Calls for short sea shipping to be promoted as an environmentally-friendly mode of transport and

8.
consequently for the establishment of Motorways of the Sea with solid environmental requirements;

European uniform system of liability

Calls for fresh consideration to be given at Community level to unifying liability systems for the
9.
multimodal chain, particularly by evaluating the various possible civil liability models and taking an active
part in the work being undertaken at international level (in particular within the United Nations Commis-
sion on International Trade Law (Uncitral) with the aim of a worldwide and/or European uniform system of
liability which is tailored to the needs of intermodal transport in Europe and is a more uniform, simpler and
more advantageous system;

Intermodal Loading Units (ILU)

10.
Stresses the need to settle the issue of the standardisation of ILUs, developing an acceptable standard-
isation system allowing the most widespread and effective use of loading units, with interoperability being
ensured between all modes, and particularly between maritime transport, inland waterways, rail and road
transport;

Recalls in this connection its position of 12 February 2004 (1) on a first reading of a proposal for a
11.
directive on intermodal loading units that a European intermodal loading unit should be created, combining
the advantages of a container with those of a swap body and thereby maximising intermodality; urges the
Councilto adopt a Common Position on the proposal so that the legislative procedure can be completed as
soon as possible;

Customs

Recalls that, as a maritime freight transport mode, short sea shipping is covered by Community

12.
customs legislation;

13.
Declares itself in favour of optimum use of the exemptions offered by Community customs rules and
the promotion of customs facilities operated under simplified systems for goods which may be moved freely
within the framework of authorised regular shipping services;

(1) OJ C 97 E, 22.4.2004, p. 612.

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14.
Invites in this context all parties concerned to develop and use the New Computerised Transit System
(NCTS) which has been introduced by the customs administrations and which is likely to make customs
operations for short sea shipping more efficient and less lengthy;

Tuesday 12 April 2005

Electronic communication

Calls for the setting-up of further electronic offices at sea ports where all mandatory formalities can

15.
be completed in a single operation;

16.
Calls on the Member States to consider the possibility of offering electronic communication equip-
ment to their ports, with the necessary Community funding, using a centralised system of electronic com-
munication wherever possible (one-stop-shop);

17.
Stresses that, in order to speed up the development of electronic communication, the setting-up of
electronic port communities and their networking within the Union, and if possible also with States adjoin-
ing the Union, should be proposed and promoted throughout the European Union, with account being
taken of best practice already developed in several Member States;

Support structures for short sea shipping

18. Welcomes the European Short Sea Network action plan and calls on the promotion centres to
implement it as quickly as possible;

19.
Appreciates the important work being carried out by national short sea shipping promotion centres
and their European network, and calls on the Member States to support these offices in appropriate cases, in
accordance with Community legislation;

20.
Stresses that a strategic environmental impact assessment of the planned Motorways of the Sea must
be performed jointly by Member States and the Commission; considers that this EIA should examine the
environmental impact not only of the route itself but also of port developments and the impact on trans-
port movements in the hinterland;

Calls on the Commission to accompany its promotion of short sea shipping by proposing improve-

21.
ments in social standards for employees in this sector;

Environmental aspects

22.
Recalls the need to promote the positive environmental image of short sea shipping, particularly as
regards water and air pollution, and therefore to lay down minimum environmental requirements such as
the use of low-sulphur fuel and limits for emissions (of SOx, NOx, CO2, etc.) into air and water; considers
that greater attention should also be devoted to promoting the Clean Ship concept adopted at the fifth
North Sea Ministerial Conference held in 2002;

Stresses nevertheless the need for stricter Community legislation on gaseous emissions and water

23.
pollution generated by short sea shipping;

24.

Reiterates the need to encourage and continue research into less polluting fuels;

25.
Reiterates the need to update statistical data on the growth of the various modes of transport in
Europe, especially data on the origin and destination of goods transported by land, in order to help in the
intermodal shift to sea transport;

Motorways of the Sea

26.
Recognises the great importance of the concept of Motorways of the Sea and their ability to become
a useful tool for promoting short sea shipping, making it possible to provide encouragement, primarily by
cofinancing infrastructure measures in appropriate cases, for the modal shift from road to sea and to
improve accessibility between outlying and island regions and central market areas in an appropriate
manner;

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Notes the current debates on the ‘Motorways of the Sea Quality Label’ which could be developed for
27.
intermodal operations using short sea shipping and meeting a number of quality criteria; notes that the
Motorways of the Sea Quality Label could be awarded to existing high-quality operations and to other
operations where commitments are given to achieving a required quality standard, with or without support
from public funds granted in accordance with Community rules, notably the competition rules;

28.
Calls for the adoption of effective, clear and adequate financing arrangements for actions linked to
Motorways of the Sea and short sea shipping lines, allowing the optimum level of complementarity or
indeed additionality of financing so as to enable lasting and viable new lines to be set up (which, however,
must not on any account be detrimental to existing short sea shipping services) where necessary with the
involvement of public services, in compliance with Community rules;

Urges that aggregation of demand should be included as a priority criterion in the conditions envis-

29.
aged in the Community guidelines on State aid to maritime transport;

30.
Calls for clarification of the Community rules applicable to the signing of agreements initiating the
exploitation of Motorway of the Sea operations and the competition-related conditions for national public
financing of short sea shipping projects and Motorways of the Sea;

31.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

*

*

*

P6_TA(2005)0087

Researchers from third countries (specific procedure) *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council directive on a specific
procedure for admitting third-country nationals for purposes of scientific research (COM(2004)
0178 — C6-0011/2004 — 2004/0061(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal (COM(2004)0178) (1),

— having regard to Article 63(3)(a) and (4) of the EC Treaty,

— having regard to Article 67 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament

(C6-0011/2004),

— having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the

opinion of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A6-0054/2005),

1.

2.

3.

Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

(1) Not yet published in OJ.