Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-11-06-Speech-3-166"
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".
Mr President, I should first like to thank the rapporteurs, Mr Ripoll and Mr Poignant. They are old friends. Indeed, those of us who regularly attend late-night sittings here in Brussels or in Strasbourg have all become old friends. Both rapporteurs have an interest in issues relating to transport policy. In particular, they are concerned with safety standards. In this case, they deal with safety standards as they apply to passenger transport ships, and also with stability requirements for ships used for the transport of passengers by sea. These requirements also have an impact on safety.
As I conclude, I should like to highlight the excellent cooperation that has once again been much in evidence over this dossier on transport.
Thank you, Mr President, and my thanks too to both rapporteurs.
The rapporteurs have done splendid work. In fact, all the rapporteurs for the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism have consistently produced splendid work on the various initiatives I have been privileged to present over the years on behalf of the Commission.
Following past accidents involving ro-ro passenger ships, it emerged that if a collision takes place, the chances of survival depend largely on the stability of the ships. Even in the worst scenario, the longer a ship remains afloat, the more successful evacuation by the rescue services can be.
The Commission’s proposal therefore deals specifically with this critical aspect of the safety of ro-ro ferries.
The measures proposed by the Commission were developed by researchers in response to the tragic accidents involving ro-ro ferries over the past decade. The new standards amount to a significant improvement on current international standards under the SOLAS Convention. These new standards are already being implemented in northern European waters within the framework of the Stockholm Agreement.
The directives we are debating today will make the specific stability requirements in the Stockholm Agreement compulsory for all ro-ro ferries operating to and from Community ports. In other words, what already applies in the Baltic Sea area will in future apply in all European ports. The standards will apply not only to ships providing international services but also to those operating the main domestic routes.
I should particularly like to highlight one other feature of the package, namely the introduction of the requirement concerning safety and accessibility for persons with reduced mobility. The European Union needs to be in line with other developed countries in this regard. Member States must ensure that the provision is applied effectively, so as to improve the safety and well-being of their citizens.
I would like to make it clear to both rapporteurs that the Commission accepts all the amendments tabled by the European Parliament. This is because the vast majority of the amendments help to improve and clarify our original text.
Two of the amendments deserve special mention. I am referring to Amendment No 13 by Mr Poignant and Amendment No 8 by Mr Ripoll. The Commission would have preferred to retain the original text in these two cases. Nonetheless, in view of the work already under way in the Council and since the latter shares Parliament’s view, the Commission has decided to accept both amendments in the interests of reaching a political compromise and to ensure that these standards are approved quickly."@en1
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