Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-20-Speech-2-094"
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"en.20080520.7.2-094"2
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"−
Madam President, I am pleased that you are in the chair for a second time for a debate on maritime policy. You were also there a year ago.
Commissioner, let us start with the good news. This evening the first European Maritime Day event will be taking place in St James’s Church in Lübeck. This church houses the international memorial for civil maritime navigation. Commissioner Barrot opened it last year. Captains will be discussing their living and working conditions there this evening. The pastors have been relying upon the Presidents of Parliament, the Council and the Commission to actually declare 20 May European Maritime Day this afternoon. This is a reason to rejoice and it should cause Europe to pay more attention to its seas.
Only those who believe that a day such as this is also in fact maritime policy are indeed mistaken; a Maritime Day such as this should not degenerate into mere symbolism. That means it must be part of a political framework. Policy is required – for social matters, maritime safety and climate protection. Let us take living and working conditions on board ships: it is an evil anachronism that a whole range of social and employment protection regulations do not apply to seafarers. This has to change and the Commission also sees that it has to change. We await their initiatives here.
The International Labour Organization adopted the Maritime Labour Convention in 2006. Three States have so far ratified it: the Bahamas, Liberia and the Marshall Islands. Where do Europeans actually stand here? If the Council wants to improve navigational and maritime safety, it simply has to do one thing: finally adopt the Erika III package. It is a bit much that the Council is dealing with this issue of maritime safety in such a dilatory manner. In the meantime, more than 12 months have elapsed since first reading in Parliament and so far we still do not have single united standpoint. The Erika and Prestige disasters should in fact be sufficient warning and reminder to take action at long last.
The climate protection package, put forward by Commission President Barroso in January refers to the possibility of perhaps including maritime transport in emissions trading. This is too lax; it is not enough. In my view maritime policy has to achieve at least four things regarding climate protection: inclusion of maritime transport in emissions trading - now, not whenever; a radical reduction in pollutant emissions – CO
SO
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; and use of regenerative energies such as wind and solar energy. In the ports there has to be an end to ships’ engines producing their own energy to the detriment of people and nature. Conversely, we also need to supply energy from land, so ships in port must be connected up to a power outlet.
In the North Sea and Baltic Sea we have dozens of old munitions from past wars. Formidable hazards arise from these. We therefore need a plan of action to identify and remove this old, harmful waste. In recent months we have learnt that pirates have carried out attacks on Europeans and European ships off the African coast. We therefore need clear international regulations and a support system on the high seas and we must protect not only the coasts from the seas, but also the seas from the coasts. The greatest hazard for the seas still comes from the land: 80% of all emissions of pollutants are caused by agriculture or industry. In order to find a remedy, European law must ultimately be applied and enforced here, too.
When we declare 20 May European Maritime Day after the vote this afternoon, I hope that we will be able to say on 20 May next year: we have achieved a great deal in the meantime.
You see how it was a precision landing."@en1
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