Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-07-03-Speech-1-092"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech⁶
dcterms:Date	"2006-07-03"^^xsd:date⁶
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Kabotaaž ja rahvusvahelised trampteenused (arutelu)⁶
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language⁶
lpv:document identification number	"en.20060703.15.1-092"⁶
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2006-07-03-Speech-1-093⁶
lpv:speaker	lp:Charlie McCreevy⁶
lpv:spoken text	". Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@en⁴
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@cs¹ "Hr. formand! Jeg er glad for at kunne deltage i aftenens forhandling om fru Wortmann-Kools betænkning om Kommissionens forslag om ophævelse af forordning (EF) nr. 4056/86. Kommissionen er yderst tilfreds med betænkningens anerkendelse af, at prisfastsættende linjekonferencer ikke længere har nogen juridisk eller økonomisk berettigelse under nutidens markedsforhold. Vores forslag handler primært om at øge EU's konkurrenceevne, hvilket harmonerer fint med dagsordenen fra Lissabon. Ca. 18 % af importen og 21 % af EU's eksport er berørt af rederiernes evne til at fastsætte priser i fællesskab under gruppefritagelsen for linjekonferencer. Ophævelsen af denne gruppefritagelse vil give lavere transportpriser og en generel fordel for EU's økonomi. Når det så er sagt, har Kommissionen også ønsket at bevare EU-linjeskibsfartens konkurrenceevne. Derfor udarbejder vi retningslinjer om, hvordan konkurrencereglerne skal anvendes i linjesektoren efter ophævelsen af forordning (EF) nr. 4056/86. Kommissionen er indstillet på at offentliggøre retningslinjerne ved udgangen af 2007. I lyset af den toårige overgangsperiode vil retningslinjerne være på plads, inden ophævelsen af gruppefritagelsen for linjekonferencer træder i kraft, hvilket giver industrien rigelig med tid til at tilpasse sig et nyt konkurrencepræget miljø vel vidende at det, den forsøger at gøre, er lovligt. Kommissionen har haft indgående diskussioner med både transportselskaber, rederier, og transportbrugere, afskibere, om indholdet af retningslinjerne. Man vil fokusere på at sikre transportsektorens konkurrenceevne. Vi er nok alle enige om, at det at sikre konkurrenceevnen ikke er det samme som at værne sektoren mod konkurrence. Informationsudvekslinger er lovlige og foregår i de fleste brancher, fordi de sætter virksomhederne i stand til at træffe bedre beslutninger. De må imidlertid ikke være så vidtgående, at de forhindrer virksomhederne i at fastsætte deres adfærd på markedet uafhængigt af hinanden. Den proces, der fører til Kommissionens vedtagelse af retningslinjerne, omfatter diskussioner med både transportbrugere og transportudbydere samt med medlemsstaterne i Det Europæiske Konkurrencenetværks undergruppe om søtransport. Der vil blive udsendt foreløbige retningslinjer, som alle interesserede parter får mulighed for at kommentere. Andre institutioner kan også udsende kommentarer i den periode. I andre tilfælde - specielt inden for statsstøtte - har Europa-Parlamentet benyttet lejligheden til at offentliggøre sine synspunkter. Vi ser frem til Europa-Parlamentets fortsatte interesse for dette vigtige initiativ. Jeg forstår bekymringerne vedrørende internationale emner. Jeg vil gerne forsikre Dem om, at vi holder vores handelspartnere informeret om vores initiativ og forklarer dem de bagvedliggende økonomiske og juridiske årsager hertil. Disse kontakter har indtil videre været positive. Det er den generelle opfattelse, at EU's ophævelse af gruppefritagelsen for linjekonferencer ikke vil give anledning til lovkonflikter med tredjelande, og at det er en proces, der tilgodeser de aktuelle markedsforhold. Kommissionen kan i det store og hele acceptere de fleste af ændringsforslagene. Det skal imidlertid ikke være i form af betragtninger til en retsakt. Efter min mening skal det forblive en klar og enkel ophævelse af forordning (EF) nr. 4056/86. Deres henstillinger vil imidlertid blive afspejlet i opfølgningsforanstaltninger. Det drejer sig bl.a. om retningslinjer, informationsopdateringer og omvurdering af andre lovgivende tekster som f.eks. forordning (EF) nr. 954/79 om tiltrædelse af De forenede Nationers konvention om en kodeks for linjekonferencer, som Europa-Parlamentet har gjort Kommissionen opmærksom på."@da² ". Herr Präsident! Es ist mir eine große Freude, mich an der heutigen Aussprache zum Bericht von Frau Wortmann-Kool zu dem Vorschlag der Kommission, die Verordnung (EG) Nr. 4056/86 aufzuheben, zu beteiligen. Die Kommission nimmt erfreut zur Kenntnis, dass sich nach Aussage des Berichts die Preisfestlegung für Linienkonferenzen unter den heutigen Marktbedingungen aus rechtlicher wie aus wirtschaftlicher Sicht nicht mehr rechtfertigen lässt. Unser Vorschlag zielt darauf ab, die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der EU zu erhöhen und uns dabei vor allem an den Zielsetzungen der Lissabon-Agenda zu orientieren. Für rund 18 % aller Importe und 21% aller Exporte der EU dürfen Reedereien gemäß der Gruppenfreistellung für Linienkonferenzen die Preise gemeinsam festsetzen. Die Aufhebung der Gruppenfreistellung wird zu einem Rückgang der Transportkosten führen und Vorteile für die gesamte EU-Wirtschaft bringen. Vor diesem Hintergrund hat sich die Kommission darüber hinaus darum bemüht, die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der EU-Linienreedereien zu schützen. Zu diesem Zweck formulieren wir derzeit Leitlinien, in denen erläutert wird, wie die Wettbewerbsregeln auf die Linienfrachtbranche anzuwenden sind, nachdem die Verordnung (EG) Nr. 4056/86 aufgehoben wurde. Die Kommission will diese Leitlinien bis Ende 2007 vorlegen. Aufgrund des zweijährigen Übergangszeitraums werden die Leitlinien zur Verfügung stehen, bevor die Gruppenfreistellung für Linienkonferenzen aufgehoben wird, so dass die Branche genügend Zeit hat, sich auf das neue Wettbewerbsumfeld einzustellen, in der Gewissheit, dass sie sich dabei im Rahmen des Gesetzes bewegt. Die Kommission hat den Inhalt der Leitlinien ausführlich mit den Transportanbietern, Reedern, Transportkunden und Verladern erörtert. Eines der Hauptanliegen wird es sein, die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit des Verkehrssektors sicherzustellen. Ich denke, wir sind uns alle einig, dass es nicht dasselbe ist, Wettbewerbsfähigkeit zu gewährleisten oder einen Sektor vor Wettbewerb zu schützen. Ein Informationsaustausch verstößt nicht gegen das Gesetz und ist in den meisten Branchen übliche Praxis, weil er den Unternehmen dabei hilft, bessere Entscheidungen zu treffen. Es darf jedoch nicht soweit gehen, dass Unternehmen daran gehindert werden, ihr Marktverhalten selbstständig festzulegen. Im Vorfeld der Annahme der Leitlinien wird sich die Kommission mit den Transportkunden und den Transportanbietern sowie im Rahmen der Untergruppe „Seeverkehr“ des Europäischen Wettbewerbsnetzes auch mit den Mitgliedstaaten beraten. Wir werden einen Entwurf der Leitlinien veröffentlichen, damit alle Beteiligten Gelegenheit haben, sich dazu zu äußern. Auch andere Institutionen können in dieser Zeit dazu Stellung nehmen. In anderen Fällen und insbesondere im Bereich der staatlichen Beihilfen hat das Europäische Parlament die Gelegenheit genutzt, seine Standpunkte darzulegen. Wir hoffen, dass sich das Europäische Parlament auch weiterhin für diese Initiative interessieren wird. Ihre Bedenken im Zusammenhang mit internationalen Angelegenheiten kann ich nachvollziehen. Ich möchte Ihnen versichern, dass wir unsere Handelspartner über unsere Initiative auf dem Laufenden halten und ihnen unsere wirtschaftlichen und rechtlichen Beweggründe erläutern. Bisher waren diese Kontakte sehr ergiebig. Es herrscht allgemeines Einvernehmen darüber, dass die Aufhebung der Gruppenfreistellung für Linienkonferenzen durch die EU nicht zu Konflikten mit den Rechtsordnungen von Drittstaaten führen darf und dass dieser Prozess den heutigen Marktbedingungen geschuldet ist. Alles in allem kann die Kommission die meisten der vorgelegten Änderungsanträge annehmen. Allerdings sollte es sich dabei nicht um Erwägungen zu einem Rechtstext handeln. Ich denke, wir sollten es bei einer klaren und einfachen Aufhebung der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 4056/86 belassen. Ihre Empfehlungen werden wir jedoch in Folgemaßnahmen aufgreifen. Dazu gehören die Leitlinien ebenso wie aktualisierte Informationen und die Überprüfung weiterer Rechtsvorschriften wie beispielsweise der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 954/79 über den Beitritt zum Übereinkommen der Vereinten Nationen über einen Verhaltenskodex für Linienkonferenzen, auf die das Europäische Parlament die Kommission hingewiesen hat."@de⁹ ". Κύριε Πρόεδρε, είναι ευχαρίστησή μου να παρευρίσκομαι απόψε σε αυτήν τη συζήτηση για την έκθεση της κ. Wortmann-Kool σχετικά με την πρόταση της Επιτροπής για την κατάργηση του κανονισμού (ΕΟΚ) αριθ. 4056/86. Η Επιτροπή είναι ιδιαίτερα ευτυχής με την αναγνώριση από την έκθεση ότι οι ναυτιλιακές διασκέψεις καθορισμού τιμών δεν δικαιολογούνται πλέον στις σημερινές συνθήκες της αγοράς, ούτε νομικά ούτε οικονομικά. Ο σκοπός της πρότασής μας είναι να ενισχυθεί η ανταγωνιστικότητα της ΕΕ, σύμφωνα, σε μεγάλο ποσοστό, με την ατζέντα της Λισαβόνας. Το 18% περίπου των εισαγωγών και το 21% των εξαγωγών της ΕΕ πλήττονται από τη δυνατότητα των μεταφορέων να καθορίζουν τιμές από κοινού βάσει της εξαίρεσης για την κατηγορία των ναυτιλιακών διασκέψεων. Η κατάργηση αυτής της εξαίρεσης θα έχει ως αποτέλεσμα χαμηλότερες τιμές μεταφορών, δημιουργώντας ένα συνολικό όφελος για την οικονομία της ΕΕ. Τούτου λεχθέντος, την Επιτροπή έχει επίσης απασχολήσει η διατήρηση της ανταγωνιστικότητας του τομέα των τακτικών ναυτιλιακών μεταφορών της ΕΕ. Αυτός είναι ο λόγος για τον οποίο προετοιμάζουμε κατευθυντήριες γραμμές, εξηγώντας με ποιον τρόπο θα ισχύσει το δίκαιο του ανταγωνισμού στον τομέα των τακτικών ναυτιλιακών μεταφορών, μετά την κατάργηση του κανονισμού (ΕΟΚ) αριθ. 4056/86. Η Επιτροπή έχει αναλάβει τη δέσμευση να δημοσιεύσει τις κατευθυντήριες γραμμές έως τα τέλη του 2007. Ενόψει της διετούς μεταβατικής περιόδου, οι κατευθυντήριες γραμμές θα έχουν τεθεί σε ισχύ πριν τεθεί σε ισχύ η κατάργηση της εξαίρεσης για την κατηγορία των ναυτιλιακών διασκέψεων, παρέχοντας, κατά συνέπεια, στον κλάδο επαρκή χρόνο προσαρμογής σε ένα νέο ανταγωνιστικό περιβάλλον γνωρίζοντας ότι αυτό που επιδιώκει είναι νόμιμο. Η Επιτροπή βρίσκεται σε συνεχείς συζητήσεις τόσο με τους παρόχους μεταφορών, τους μεταφορείς, όσο και με τους χρήστες μεταφορών, τους φορτωτές, σχετικά με το περιεχόμενο των κατευθυντήριων γραμμών. Κεντρικός στόχος θα είναι η διασφάλιση της ανταγωνιστικότητας του τομέα μεταφορών. Πιστεύω ότι όλοι συμφωνούμε ότι η διασφάλιση της ανταγωνιστικότητας δεν σημαίνει να προστατεύουμε τον κλάδο από τον ανταγωνισμό. Οι ανταλλαγές πληροφοριών είναι νόμιμες και κοινή πρακτική στους περισσότερους κλάδους, επειδή δίδουν τη δυνατότητα στις επιχειρήσεις να κάνουν καλύτερες επιλογές. Ωστόσο, αυτές δεν πρέπει να φθάνουν σε τέτοιο σημείο, ώστε να εμποδίζουν τις επιχειρήσεις να προσδιορίζουν τη συμπεριφορά τους στην αγορά ανεξάρτητα η μία από την άλλη. Η διαδικασία που οδηγεί στην έγκριση των κατευθυντήριων γραμμών από την Επιτροπή περιλαμβάνει συζητήσεις τόσο με τους χρήστες μεταφορών όσο και με τους παρόχους μεταφορών, καθώς και με τα κράτη μέλη στην υποομάδα θαλάσσιων μεταφορών του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικτύου Ανταγωνισμού. Το σχέδιο κατευθυντήριων γραμμών θα δημοσιευτεί, προκειμένου να έχουν όλα τα ενδιαφερόμενα μέρη τη δυνατότητα να διατυπώσουν τα σχόλιά τους. Κατά τη διάρκεια της περιόδου αυτής, σχόλια μπορούν να διατυπώσουν και άλλα όργανα. Σε άλλες περιπτώσεις, ιδιαίτερα στον τομέα των κρατικών ενισχύσεων, το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο έχει επωφεληθεί αυτής της ευκαιρίας, για να καταστήσει γνωστές τις απόψεις του. Προσβλέπουμε στο αδιάλειπτο ενδιαφέρον του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου για αυτήν τη σημαντική πρωτοβουλία. Κατανοώ τις ανησυχίες που διατυπώθηκαν σχετικά με διεθνή θέματα. Επιθυμώ να σας διαβεβαιώσω ότι τηρούμε ενήμερους τους εμπορικούς εταίρους μας για την πρωτοβουλία μας, εξηγώντας τους οικονομικούς και νομικούς λόγους οι οποίοι την διέπουν. Αυτές οι επαφές υπήρξαν έως τώρα θετικές. Υπάρχει μια γενική αναγνώριση ότι η κατάργηση της εξαίρεσης για την κατηγορία των ναυτιλιακών διασκέψεων από την ΕΕ δεν θα προκαλέσει συγκρούσεις δικαίου με τρίτες χώρες και ότι αποτελεί μια διαδικασία η οποία ανταποκρίνεται στις σημερινές συνθήκες της αγοράς. Γενικά, η Επιτροπή μπορεί να δεχθεί τις περισσότερες τροπολογίες που κατατέθηκαν. Αυτό, ωστόσο, δεν θα πρέπει να είναι υπό μορφή αιτιολογικών σκέψεων σε νομοθετικό κείμενο. Πιστεύω ότι πρέπει να παραμείνει μια σαφής και απλή κατάργηση του κανονισμού (ΕΟΚ) αριθ. 4056/86. Ωστόσο, οι συστάσεις σας θα αντανακλώνται στα συνοδευτικά μέτρα. Αυτά περιλαμβάνουν τις κατευθυντήριες γραμμές, καθώς και τις ενημερώσεις πληροφοριών και την επανεκτίμηση άλλων νομοθετικών κειμένων όπως ο κανονισμός (ΕΟΚ) αριθ. 954/79 του Συμβουλίου της 15ης Μαΐου 1979 περί της προσχωρήσεως των κρατών μελών στη σύμβαση των Ηνωμένων Εθνών «περί του Κώδικος Συμπεριφοράς των CONFERENCES Τακτικών Γραμμών» στον οποίο το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο έχει επιστήσει την προσοχή της Επιτροπής."@el¹⁰ ". Señor Presidente, es un placer participar hoy en este debate sobre el informe de la señora Wortmann-Kool acerca de la propuesta de la Comisión de derogar el Reglamento (CE) nº 4056/86. La Comisión celebra que el informe reconozca que, en las actuales condiciones del mercado, ya no están justificadas, ni jurídica ni económicamente, las conferencias marítimas de fijación de precios. El propósito principal de nuestra propuesta es aumentar la competitividad de la UE, de acuerdo con la Agenda de Lisboa. En torno al 18 % de las importaciones y al 21 % de las exportaciones de la UE están afectadas por la capacidad de los transportistas de fijar los precios gracias a la exención por categoría de que gozan las conferencias marítimas. La supresión de esta exención derivará en precios más bajos del transporte, lo cual beneficiará a toda la economía comunitaria. Dicho esto, la Comisión también se ha preocupado por preservar la competitividad del sector marítimo de la UE. Por eso estamos preparando unas directrices para explicar cómo se aplicará la ley de la competencia al sector naval una vez derogado el Reglamento (CE) nº 4056/86. La Comisión se compromete a publicar esas directrices a finales de 2007. Visto el período transitorio previsto de dos años, las directrices estarán disponibles antes de que entre en vigor la derogación de la exención, lo que dará tiempo suficiente al sector para adaptarse al nuevo entorno competitivo sabiendo que actúa dentro de la legalidad. La Comisión ha mantenido sendos debates con los proveedores (transportistas) y los usuarios del transporte (cargadores) acerca del contenido de las directrices. Con ellas se tratará sobre todo de asegurar la competitividad del sector. Creo que todos estamos de acuerdo en que asegurar la competitividad no es lo mismo que librar al sector de la competencia. Es legítimo intercambiar información y es práctica común en la mayoría de las industrias, pues permiten a las empresas tomar mejores decisiones, pero esto no debe llegar hasta el punto de impedirles que decidan cómo actuar en el mercado de forma independiente unas de otras. El proceso que llevará a la aprobación de las directrices por la Comisión incluye conversaciones tanto con los usuarios como con los proveedores de transporte, así como con los Estados miembros en el subgrupo de transporte marítimo de la Red Europea de Competencia. Se publicarán los borradores de las directrices para que todas las partes interesadas puedan añadir sus comentarios, y otras instituciones podrán también aportar los suyos durante el proceso. En otros casos, sobre todo en el ámbito de las ayudas estatales, el Parlamento Europeo ha hecho uso de esta posibilidad para expresar su parecer. Esperamos que siga interesado en esta importante iniciativa. Comprendo la inquietud que despiertan los asuntos internacionales. Quiero asegurar a sus Señorías que nuestros socios comerciales están al tanto de la iniciativa y que les explicamos los motivos económicos y jurídicos en que se basa. Hasta ahora, los contactos han sido positivos. Hay un reconocimiento general de que la derogación de la exención por categoría de la conferencia marítima en la UE no causará conflictos legales con terceros países y de que este proceso obedece a las actuales condiciones del mercado. En principio, la Comisión asumirá la mayoría de las enmiendas presentadas, pero no lo hará en forma de considerandos de un texto legislativo. Creo que podría quedar en una simple y clara derogación del Reglamento (CE) nº 4056/86. Sin embargo, sus sugerencias quedarán reflejadas en las medidas de seguimiento, lo que incluye las directrices, la actualización de la información y la reevaluación de otros textos legales como el Reglamento (CE) nº 954/79, relativo a la adhesión al Convenio de las Naciones Unidas sobre el código de conducta para las conferencias marítimas, sobre el que el Parlamento Europeo ha llamado la atención de la Comisión."@es²⁰ "Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@et⁵ ". Arvoisa puhemies, minulla on ilo liittyä seuraanne tänä iltana keskustelemaan jäsen Wortmann-Koolin laatimasta mietinnöstä, joka koskee komission ehdotusta asetuksen (EY) N:o 4056/86 kumoamisesta. Komissio on erittäin tyytyväinen, että mietinnössä myönnetään, ettei hintoja asettavien linjakonferenssien olemassaolo ole nykyisissä markkinaolosuhteissa enää oikeudellisesti tai taloudellisestikaan perusteltua. Ehdotuksemme taustalla on halu lisätä EU:n kilpailukykyä hyvin pitkälti Lissabonin strategian mukaisesti. Noin 18 prosenttia EU:n tuonnista ja 21 prosenttia viennistä on sellaista, että varustamot voivat yhdessä asettaa rahtimaksut linjakonferenssien ryhmäpoikkeuksen nojalla. Kumoamalla ryhmäpoikkeukset saisimme alennettua kuljetuksen hintoja, ja tästä olisi yleisesti hyötyä EU:n taloudelle. Tämän lisäksi komission tavoitteena on säilyttää EU:n linjaliikenteen kilpailukyky. Siksi komissio valmisteleekin suuntaviivoja siitä, kuinka kilpailulakia sovelletaan linjaliikenteen alalla, kun asetus (EY) N:o 4056/86 on kumottu. Komissio aikoo julkistaa suuntaviivat vuoden 2007 loppuun mennessä. Kun mietitään kahden vuoden siirtymäaikaa, suuntaviivat ovat voimassa ennen kuin linjakonferenssien ryhmäpoikkeus kumotaan, joten alalle jää runsaasti aikaa sopeutua uuteen kilpailuympäristöön ja muuttaa toimintansa lainmukaiseksi. Komissio on keskustellut tiiviisti sekä kuljetusten tarjoajien, eli varustamojen, ja kuljetusten käyttäjien, eli rahdinantajien, kanssa suuntaviivojen sisällöstä. Keskeistä on varmistaa kuljetusalan kilpailukyvyn säilyminen. Käsittääkseni olemme kaikki samaa mieltä siitä, ettei kilpailukyvyn varmistaminen tarkoita samaa kuin alan suojaaminen kilpailulta. Tiedonvaihdot ovat laillisia ja useimmilla aloilla yleisesti harjoitettuja, sillä sen avullahan yritykset voivat tehdä parempia päätöksiä. Tiedonvaihdossa ei kuitenkaan pidä mennä niin pitkälle, että yritykset eivät voi päättää itsenäisesti markkinakäyttäytymisestään. Komissio keskustelee ennen suuntaviivojen antamista sekä kuljetusten tarjoajien että kuljetusten käyttäjien kanssa, kuten myös niiden jäsenvaltioiden kanssa, jotka kuuluvat Euroopan kilpailuverkoston merikuljetusten työryhmään. Suuntaviivoista julkaistaan luonnos, jotta kaikki asianosaiset osapuolet voivat esittää kommenttinsa siitä. Myös muut toimielimet voivat esittää kommentteja valmisteluvaiheessa. Euroopan parlamentti on käyttänyt tilaisuutta hyväkseen ja ilmaissut mielipiteensä muistakin asioista, erityisesti valtiontuista. Uskomme Euroopan parlamentin olevan jatkossakin kiinnostutut tästä tärkeästä aloitteesta. Ymmärrän kansainvälisten seikkojen herättämän huolen. Vakuutan teille, että kauppakumppanimme pysyvät tietoisina aloitteestamme, kun selitämme sen taustalla olevat taloudelliset ja oikeudelliset syyt. Tähän asti yhteydet ovat pysyneet myönteisinä. Yleisesti on myönnetty, ettei linjakonferenssien ryhmäpoikkeuksen kumoamisesta EU:ssa aiheudu oikeudellisia ristiriitoja kolmansien maiden kanssa ja että tässä on kyse vallitseviin markkinaolosuhteisiin vastaamisesta. Yleisesti voin todeta, että komissio voi hyväksyä useimmat esitetyistä tarkistuksista. Tätä ei kuitenkaan pitäisi tehdä lainsäädännöllisen tekstin johdanto-osan muodossa. Mielestäni asetus (EY) N:o 4056/86 olisi aivan yksinkertaisesti kumottava. Suosituksenne otetaan kuitenkin huomioon jatkotoimenpiteissä, joita ovat suuntaviivojen laadinta, tietojen ajantasaistukset sekä muiden säädöstekstien uudelleenarviointi, johon Euroopan parlamentti kiinnitti komission huomion linjakonferenssien käyttäytymissääntöjä koskevaan Yhdistyneiden Kansakuntien yleissopimukseen liittymisestä annetun asetuksen (EY) N:o 954/79 osalta."@fi^7,7 ". Monsieur le Président, je suis heureux d’être parmi vous ce soir pour participer à cette discussion sur le rapport de M. Wortmann-Kool relatif à la proposition de la Commission abrogeant le règlement (CE) n° 4056/86. La Commission se réjouit que le rapport reconnaisse que les conférences maritimes en matière de fixation des prix ne se justifient plus dans les actions actuelles du marché, que ce soit d’un point de vue juridique ou économique. L’idée maîtresse de notre proposition est d’accroître la compétitivité de l’UE, conformément à l’esprit de l’agenda de Lisbonne. Environ 18% des importations et 21% des exportations de l’UE sont affectés par la capacité des transporteurs à fixer les prix conjointement, en vertu de l’exemption par catégorie en faveur des conférences maritimes. L’abrogation de cette exemption par catégorie entraînera une diminution des prix des services de transport, ce qui générera un bénéfice global pour l’économie de l’UE. Cela étant dit, la Commission se soucie également de préserver la compétitivité de l’industrie des transports maritimes de ligne au sein de l’UE. C’est pourquoi nous rédigeons actuellement des lignes directrices expliquant comment le droit de la concurrence s’appliquera au secteur des transports maritimes réguliers, une fois le règlement (CE) n° 4056/86 abrogé. La Commission s’engage à promulguer ces lignes directrices pour la fin de l’année 2007. Étant donné la période transitoire de deux ans, les lignes directrices seront en place avant que l’abrogation de l’exemption par catégorie des conférence maritimes ne prenne effet, l’industrie disposant ainsi de tout le temps nécessaire pour s’adapter à un nouvel environnement concurrentiel, en sachant que l’objectif poursuivi est légal. La Commission s’entretient étroitement avec à la fois les fournisseurs de services de transport, les transporteurs, les usagers des transports et les affréteurs, à propos du contenu des lignes directrices. La préoccupation première sera de garantir la compétitivité du secteur des transports. Je pense que nous sommes tous d’accord sur le fait que garantir la compétitivité ne veut pas dire protéger le secteur de la concurrence. Les échanges d’informations sont légaux et pratique courante dans la plupart des industries, puisqu’ils permettent aux entreprises de prendre de meilleures décisions. Toutefois, ils ne doivent pas aller jusqu’à empêcher ces sociétés de déterminer leur conduite sur le marché indépendamment les unes des autres. Le processus visant l’adoption des lignes directrices par la Commission prévoit des discussions tant avec les usagers qu’avec les fournisseurs de services de transport, sans oublier les États membres faisant partie du sous-groupe des transporteurs maritimes au sein du réseau européen de la concurrence. Le projet de lignes directrices sera publié afin que toutes les parties intéressées aient la possibilité d’émettre leurs observations. D’autres institutions pourront également soumettre leurs remarques au cours de cette période. Dans d’autres domaines, notamment celui des aides d’État, le Parlement européen a profité de l’occasion pour faire connaître ses positions. Nous espérons que le Parlement continuera à exprimer son intérêt pour cette importante initiative. Je comprends les inquiétudes formulées au sujet des enjeux internationaux. Je voudrais vous rassurer en vous répétant que nous tenons nos partenaires commerciaux au courant de notre initiative, en leur expliquant les motifs économiques et juridiques qui la sous-tendent. Ces contacts ont été jusqu’ici positifs. Chacun reconnaît que l’abrogation par l’UE de l’exemption par catégorie en faveur des conférences maritimes n’entraînera aucun conflit de lois avec les pays tiers et qu’il s’agit d’un processus répondant aux conditions actuelles du marché. Dans l’ensemble, la Commission peut consentir à la plupart des amendements déposés. Ceux-ci ne doivent toutefois pas prendre la forme d’un exposé des motifs d’un texte législatif. Je crois qu’il faut maintenir une abrogation pure et simple du règlement (CE) n° 4056/86. Néanmoins, vos recommandations se refléteront dans les mesures de suivi. Celles-ci comprendront les lignes directrices, ainsi que des actualisations d’informations et une réévaluation d’autres textes législatifs, comme le règlement (CE) n° 954/79 sur l’adhésion à la convention relative au code de conduite des conférences maritimes de la CNUCED, à propos duquel le Parlement européen a interpellé la Commission."@fr⁸ "Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@hu¹¹ ". Signor Presidente, è con estremo piacere che mi unisco a voi questa sera per discutere la relazione dell’onorevole Wortmann-Kool sulla proposta della Commissione di abrogare il regolamento (CEE) n. 4056/86. La Commissione constata con soddisfazione che la relazione riconosce come, nelle attuali condizioni del mercato, le conferenze di compagnie marittime di linea per la fissazione dei prezzi abbiano perso la loro utilità sia dal punto di vista giuridico che da quello economico. L’obiettivo principale della nostra proposta è accrescere la competitività dell’Unione europea, in sintonia con l’agenda di Lisbona. Circa il 18 per cento delle importazioni e il 21 per cento delle esportazioni dell’UE sono condizionate dalla capacità del vettore di fissare prezzi collettivamente, conformemente all’esenzione di categoria a favore delle conferenze di compagnie marittime di linea. Grazie all’abrogazione di questa esenzione di categoria i prezzi dei trasporti diminuiranno, con un generale beneficio per l’economia dell’Unione europea. Detto questo, la Commissione si occupa anche di mantenere la competitività del settore delle compagnie marittime di linea dell’Unione europea. Per questo motivo stiamo preparando alcuni orientamenti per illustrare in che modo la legge sulla concorrenza si applicherà al settore delle compagnie marittime di linea, dopo l’abrogazione del regolamento (CEE) n. 4056/86. La Commissione si è impegnata a promulgare gli orientamenti entro la fine del 2007. In vista del periodo transitorio di due anni, gli orientamenti saranno operativi prima che l’abrogazione dell’esenzione di categoria a favore delle conferenze di compagnie marittime di linea entri in vigore, in modo che il settore abbia tutto il tempo necessario per adeguarsi a un nuovo ambiente competitivo sapendo che i suoi obiettivi sono del tutto legittimi. La Commissione ha discusso il contenuto degli orientamenti sia con gli operatori dei trasporti, i vettori, sia con gli utenti dei trasporti, gli spedizionieri. Al centro dell’attenzione vi sarà la necessità di garantire la competitività del settore dei trasporti. Siamo tutti d’accordo nel ritenere che garantire la competitività non equivale a tutelare il settore dalla concorrenza. Gli scambi di informazioni sono legittimi e prassi comune in gran parte dei settori, giacché consentono alle imprese di assumere decisioni più ponderate. Tuttavia non devono impedire alle imprese di determinare la propria condotta nel mercato in modo autonomo rispetto alle altre. Il processo che conduce all’adozione degli orientamenti da parte della Commissione comprende discussioni sia con gli utenti che con gli operatori dei trasporti, nonché con gli Stati membri, nel gruppo di lavoro per i trasporti marittimi della Rete europea della concorrenza (REC). Le proposte di orientamenti saranno pubblicate in modo che tutte le parti in causa abbiano l’opportunità di esprimere i propri commenti. Anche altre istituzioni potranno avanzare i propri commenti in quel periodo. In altri casi, soprattutto per quanto riguarda gli aiuti di Stato, il Parlamento europeo ha colto quest’occasione per rendere noto il proprio parere. Ci auguriamo che il Parlamento europeo continui a manifestare lo stesso interesse per questa importante iniziativa. Comprendo le preoccupazioni che sono state sollevate in merito ai problemi internazionali. Vorrei rassicurarvi e garantirvi che manteniamo costantemente informati i nostri commerciali sulla nostra iniziativa, illustrando i motivi economici e giuridici a essa sottesi. Tali contatti finora si sono rivelati positivi. Vi è il generale riconoscimento che l’abrogazione dell’esenzione di categoria a favore delle conferenze di compagnie marittime di linea da parte dell’Unione europea non provocherà conflitti giuridici con paesi terzi e che si tratta di un processo che risponde alle condizioni odierne del mercato. Nel complesso, la Commissione è in grado di accogliere gran parte degli emendamenti che sono stati presentati, a condizione che non vengano formulati come considerando di un testo legislativo. Ritengo che ci si dovrebbe limitare a una semplice e chiara abrogazione del regolamento (CEE) n. 4056/86. Tuttavia, le vostre raccomandazioni si rifletteranno nelle misure di : tali misure includono gli orientamenti, nonché le informazioni aggiornate e il riesame di altri testi legislativi come il regolamento (CEE) n. 954/79 sull’adesione alla convenzione delle Nazioni Unite relativa al codice di comportamento per le conferenze marittime, su cui il Parlamento europeo ha richiamato l’attenzione della Commissione."@it¹² "Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@lt¹⁴ "Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@lv¹³ "Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@mt¹⁵ ". Mijnheer de Voorzitter, het is mij een genoegen om vanavond een bijdrage te mogen leveren aan deze discussie over het verslag van mevrouw Wortmann-Kool over het voorstel houdende intrekking van Verordening (EEG) nr. 4056/86. De Commissie is heel blij dat in het verslag erkend wordt dat prijsafspraken voor lijnvaartconferenties onder de huidige marktomstandigheden, zowel juridisch als economisch, niet langer gerechtvaardigd zijn. Ons voorstel is erop gericht om het concurrentievermogen van de EU te vergroten, zoals dat ook in de agenda van Lissabon staat. Het gegeven dat vervoerders gezamenlijk prijzen vaststellen op grond van de groepsvrijstelling voor lijnvaartconferenties, is van invloed op ruwweg 18 procent van de import en 21 procent van de export van de EU. De intrekking van deze groepsvrijstelling zal tot lagere vrachttarieven leiden, wat een voordeel oplevert voor de hele economie van de EU. Voorts heeft de Commissie zich ook ingespannen om het concurrentievermogen van de Europese lijnvaartsector te behouden. Daarom bereiden we richtsnoeren voor waarin wordt uitgelegd op wat voor wijze het mededingingsrecht op de lijnvaartsector van toepassing zal zijn als Verordening (EEG) nr. 4056/86 eenmaal is ingetrokken. De Commissie streeft ernaar om de richtsnoeren tegen het eind van 2007 uit te vaardigen. Met het oog op de overgangsperiode van twee jaar zullen de richtsnoeren ten uitvoer worden gelegd voordat de intrekking van de groepsvrijstelling voor lijnvaartconferenties van kracht wordt, zodat de sector voldoende tijd heeft om zich aan te passen aan een nieuw concurrentieklimaat in de wetenschap dat zijn activiteiten zijn toegestaan. De Commissie heeft zowel met de vervoersaanbieders en vervoerders als met de vervoergebruikers en de verladers uitvoerig van gedachten gewisseld over de inhoud van de richtsnoeren. De nadruk zal liggen op het waarborgen van het concurrentievermogen van de vervoerssector. Ik denk dat we het er allemaal over eens zijn dat het concurrentievermogen waarborgen niet hetzelfde is als de sector van concurrentie afschermen. Het is toegestaan om informatie uit te wisselen en in de meeste sectoren is het gebruikelijk, omdat zo betere bedrijfsbeslissingen kunnen worden genomen. De uitwisseling van informatie moet echter niet zover gaan dat ondernemingen ervan worden weerhouden om hun gedrag op de markt onafhankelijk van elkaar te bepalen. Het proces dat leidt tot de aanneming van de richtsnoeren door de Commissie omvat besprekingen met de vervoergebruikers en -aanbieders alsook met de lidstaten in de werkgroep zeevervoer van het Europees Mededingingsnetwerk. Er zullen ontwerprichtsnoeren worden gepubliceerd zodat alle belanghebbenden de gelegenheid krijgen om commentaar te leveren. Andere instellingen mogen in dat stadium ook commentaar leveren. In andere gevallen, met name op het gebied van overheidssteun, heeft het Europees Parlement van deze gelegenheid gebruik gemaakt om zijn standpunten kenbaar te maken. We hopen dat het Europees Parlement dit belangrijke initiatief zal blijven volgen. Ik begrijp de bezorgdheid over internationale kwesties. Ik kan u geruststellen dat we onze handelspartners zullen blijven wijzen op dit initiatief en de economische en juridische redenen die eraan ten grondslag liggen, zullen toelichten. Deze contacten zijn tot dusverre positief geweest. Men is het er algemeen over eens dat de intrekking van de groepsvrijstelling voor lijnvaartconferenties door de EU niet strijdig is met de wet in derde landen en dat het een proces is dat aansluit bij de huidige marktomstandigheden. De Commissie kan het grootste deel van de ingediende amendementen overnemen, maar niet in de vorm van overwegingen bij een wetgevingstekst. Ik vind dat het een duidelijke en eenvoudige intrekking van Verordening (EEG) nr. 4056/86 moet blijven. Bij vervolgmaatregelen zullen we evenwel rekening houden met uw aanbevelingen. Hieronder vallen onder andere de richtsnoeren en ook de actualisering van informatie en de herbeoordeling van andere wetgevingsteksten zoals Verordening (EEG) nr. 954/79 inzake de toetreding tot het Verdrag van de Verenigde Naties inzake een gedragscode voor lijnvaartconferenties, waar het Europees Parlement de Commissie op heeft gewezen."@nl³ "Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@pl¹⁶ "Senhor Presidente, é com prazer que me junto a vós no debate desta noite sobre o relatório da autoria da senhora deputada Wortmann-Kool, referente à proposta da Comissão no sentido de revogar o Regulamento (CEE) n.º 4056/86. A Comissão fica bastante satisfeita por o relatório reconhecer que a fixação de preços das conferências marítimas deixou de ter justificação face às condições actuais do mercado, quer sob o ponto de vista jurídico, quer económico. O que impulsiona a nossa proposta é o nosso desejo de aumentar a competitividade da UE, muito no sentido do prosseguimento da Estratégia de Lisboa. Cerca de 18% das importações e 21% das exportações da UE são afectadas pela capacidade dos transportadores de fixar preços conjuntamente ao abrigo da isenção por categoria das conferências marítimas. A revogação desta supressão por categoria vai resultar em preços de transportes mais baixos, dando origem a um benefício geral para a economia da UE. Posto isto, a Comissão teve também em mente a preocupação em preservar a competitividade no sector dos transportes marítimos regulares. Por isso, estamos a preparar orientações, explicando como o direito da concorrência se irá aplicar ao sector dos transportes marítimos logo que o Regulamento (CEE) n.º 4056/86 seja revogado. A Comissão compromete-se a promulgar as orientações até ao final de 2007. Tendo em conta o período de transição de dois anos, as orientações estarão disponíveis antes de entrar em vigor a revogação da isenção por categoria das conferências marítimas, dando assim tempo suficiente ao sector para se adaptar ao novo ambiente concorrencial, partindo do princípio de que o que procura fazer é legal. A Comissão tem mantido contactos estreitos com os prestadores de serviços de transportes, os transportadores e os utilizadores dos transportes, os carregadores, de modo a debater o conteúdo das orientações. Será dada prioridade a assegurar a competitividade no sector dos transportes. Penso que todos concordamos que garantir a competitividade não é o mesmo que proteger o sector da concorrência. Os intercâmbios de informações são legais e constituem prática comum na maior parte dos sectores, pois permitem a tomada de melhores decisões. No entanto, não podem ir ao ponto de impedir as empresas de estabelecerem a sua conduta no mercado, fazendo-o de modo independente umas das outras. O processo conducente à adopção das orientações pela Comissão inclui debates, quer com os utilizadores dos transportes, quer com os prestadores de serviços do sector, bem como com os Estados-Membros do grupo de trabalho para os transportes marítimos da Rede Europeia da Concorrência (ECN). Serão publicados textos preliminares das orientações, de modo que todas as partes interessadas tenham a oportunidade de apresentar comentários. Outras instituições poderão também apresentar comentários durante este período de tempo. Relativamente a outros casos, nomeadamente no domínio das ajudas estatais, o Parlamento Europeu utilizou esta oportunidade para tornar conhecidas as suas opiniões. Aguardamos com expectativa a continuidade do interesse do Parlamento Europeu nesta importante iniciativa. Percebo as preocupações motivadas pelas questões internacionais. Gostaria de assegurar a V. Exas. que mantemos os nossos parceiros comerciais a par da nossa iniciativa, explicando as razões económicas e jurídicas que lhe estão subjacentes. Estes contactos têm sido, até ao momento, positivos. Existe um reconhecimento generalizado de que a revogação da isenção por categoria das conferências marítimas pela UE não vai causar conflitos jurídicos com países terceiros, constituindo um processo que corresponde às actuais condições do mercado. De um modo geral, a Comissão pode acolher todas as alterações apresentadas. Tal não pode, contudo, assumir a forma de considerando num texto legislativo. Creio que o texto se deve manter como uma clara e simples revogação do Regulamento (CEE) n.º 4056/86. No entanto, as recomendações de V. Exas. deverão traduzir-se em medidas de acompanhamento. Estas incluem as orientações, bem como as actualizações de informação e a reavaliação de outros textos legislativos, tais como o Regulamento (CEE) n.º 954/79 referente à adesão à Convenção das Nações Unidas relativa a um Código de Conduta das Conferências Marítimas, para o qual o Parlamento Europeu chamou a atenção da Comissão."@pt¹⁷ "Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@sk¹⁸ "Mr President, it is my pleasure to join you tonight for this discussion on the report by Mr Wortmann-Kool on the Commission’s proposal to repeal Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. The Commission is very pleased with the report’s recognition that price- fixing liner conferences are no longer justified in today’s market conditions, either legally or economically. The thrust of our proposal is to increase EU competitiveness, much in keeping with the Lisbon agenda. Roughly 18% of imports and 21% of EU exports are affected by carriers’ ability to fix prices jointly under the liner conference block exemption. The repeal of this block exemption will result in lower transport prices, engendering an overall benefit to the EU economy. That said, the Commission has also been concerned with preserving the competitiveness of the EU liner shipping industry. That is why we are preparing guidelines explaining how competition law will apply to the liner sector, once Regulation (EC) No 4056/86 is repealed. The Commission is committed to promulgating the guidelines by the end of 2007. In view of the two-year transitional period, the guidelines will be in place before the repeal of the liner conference block exemption takes effect, thus giving industry ample time to adjust to a new competitive environment in the knowledge that what it seeks to do is lawful. The Commission has been discussing closely with both the transport providers, carriers, and the transport users, shippers, on the content of the guidelines. The focus will be on ensuring the competitiveness of the transport sector. I think we all agree that ensuring competitiveness is not the same as shielding the sector from competition. Information exchanges are lawful and are common practice in most industries, because they enable business to make better decisions. However, they must not go so far as to prevent undertakings from determining their conduct in the market independently of each other. The process leading to the adoption of the guidelines by the Commission includes discussions with both transport users and transport providers, as well as with the Member States in the European Competition Network’s maritime transport subgroup. Draft guidelines will be published so that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment. Other institutions may also put forward comments during that time. In other cases, notably in the field of state aids, the European Parliament has used this opportunity to make its views known. We look forward to the European Parliament’s continued interest in this important initiative. I understand the concerns raised on international issues. I would like to reassure you that we are keeping our trading partners aware of our initiative, explaining the economic and legal reasons that underpin it. These contacts have so far been positive. There is a general acknowledgement that the repeal of the liner conference block exemption by the EU will not cause conflicts of law with third countries and that it is a process that responds to today’s market conditions. Overall, the Commission can take on board most of the amendments tabled. This should, however, not be in the form of recitals to a legislative text. I believe it should remain a clear and simple repeal of Regulation (EC) No 4056/86. However, your recommendations will be reflected in follow-up measures. These include the guidelines, as well as the information updates and the reassessment of other legislative texts such as Regulation (EC) No 954/79 on the accession to the UN Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences, to which the European Parliament has drawn the Commission’s attention."@sl¹⁹ "Herr talman! Det är med nöje jag deltar i kvällens debatt om Corien Wortmann-Kools betänkande om kommissionens förslag till rådets förordning om upphävande av förordning (EEG) nr 4056/86. Kommissionen är mycket nöjd med att det i betänkandet medges att det enligt dagens marknadsvillkor inte längre är vare sig juridiskt eller ekonomiskt motiverat att linjekonferenser fastställer priser. Syftet med vårt förslag är att öka EU:s konkurrenskraft, i linje med Lissabonmålen. Uppskattningsvis 18 procent av EU:s import och 21 procent av EU:s export påverkas av transportföretagens möjlighet att gemensamt fastställa priser inom ramen för gruppundantaget för linjekonferenser. Upphävandet av detta gruppundantag kommer att leda till lägre transportpriser, vilket skapar en generell fördel för EU:s ekonomi. Kommissionen har utöver detta även intresserat sig för att upprätthålla konkurrenskraften inom EU:s linjetransportörsbransch. Detta är anledningen till att vi förbereder riktlinjer för tillämpningen av konkurrenslagstiftningen inom linjesjöfartssektorn efter det att förordning (EEG) nr 4056/86 har upphävts. Kommissionen åtar sig att lägga fram riktlinjerna i slutet av 2007. Med hänsyn till den tvååriga övergångsperioden kommer riktlinjerna att börja gälla innan upphävandet av gruppundantaget för linjekonferenser träder i kraft. På så vis ges branschen gott om tid för att anpassa sig till en ny konkurrenspräglad miljö, och kommer att veta att den agerar lagligt. Kommissionen har ingående diskuterat riktlinjernas innehåll med både transportproducenterna, transportföretagen och transportanvändarna, dvs. befraktarna. Fokus kommer att ligga på att garantera konkurrenskraften inom transportsektorn. Jag tror att vi alla är överens om att garanterande av konkurrenskraften inte är samma sak som att skydda sektorn mot konkurrens. Informationsutbyte är lagligt och vanligt förekommande i de flesta branscher eftersom detta gör det möjligt för företagen att fatta bättre beslut. Det får dock inte gå så långt att det hindrar företagen från att agera oberoende av varandra på marknaden. Den process som leder till att kommissionen antar riktlinjerna omfattar diskussioner med såväl transportanvändare som transportproducenter samt med medlemsstaterna i arbetsgruppen för sjöfartstransporter inom nätverket för EU:s konkurrensmyndigheter. Ett utkast till riktlinjerna kommer att offentliggöras så att alla berörda parter får möjlighet att uttala sig. Andra institutioner får också uttala sig vid detta tillfälle. I andra fall, särskilt på området statligt stöd, har Europaparlamentet tagit tillfället i akt att framföra sina synpunkter. Vi ser fram emot Europaparlamentets fortsatta intresse för detta viktiga initiativ. Jag har förståelse för den oro som uttrycks när det gäller internationella frågor. Jag vill försäkra er om att vi håller våra handelspartner underrättade om vårt initiativ och förklarar de bakomliggande ekonomiska och juridiska orsakerna. Dessa kontakter har hittills varit positiva. Den allmänna uppfattningen är att EU:s upphävande av gruppundantaget för linjekonferenser inte kommer att orsaka rättsliga konflikter med tredjeländer och att denna process är ett svar på dagens marknadsvillkor. På det hela taget kan kommissionen godta de flesta av de ändringsförslag som har lagts fram. Detta bör dock inte uttryckas i skälen till en rättsakt. Jag anser att det bör fortsätta utgöras av ett klart och tydligt upphävande av förordning (EEG) nr 4056/86. Era rekommendationer kommer dock att återspeglas i uppföljningsåtgärderna. Dessa omfattas av riktlinjerna, liksom av uppdateringen av information och översynen av andra rättsakter såsom rådets förordning (EEG) nr 954/79 om medlemsstaternas ratifikation av eller anslutning till Förenta nationernas konvention om en uppförandekod för linjekonferenser, som Europaparlamentet har uppmärksammat kommissionen på."@sv²¹
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Charlie McCreevy,"^{5,19,15,1,18,14,16,11,11,13,4} "Member of the Commission"^{5,19,15,1,18,14,16,11,11,13,4} "follow-up"¹² "partner"¹²