Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-04-24-Speech-2-255"
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"en.20070424.46.2-255"2
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".
Madam President, Madam President-in-Office, ladies and gentlemen, this debate and tomorrow's vote on the five reports on maritime safety conclude the first reading of the
III package. I stress this because, as you know, we have already adopted the reports from Marta Vincenzi and Gilles Savary. This is why I must also remind the Council once again that
III comprises seven proposals and that we in Parliament are firmly convinced that they form a package, which we therefore want to deal with collectively.
Since I am speaking in more than one capacity – not only on behalf of the Committee on Fisheries but also for my political group – I would like to begin by thanking all the rapporteurs for their work. Like the votes in committee, tomorrow's plenary vote will show that we are addressing all these matters on the basis of a high degree of unanimity. As we have heard, the Council has not exactly been dancing for joy at some of our parliamentary decisions and votes and still has to engage in discussions on a number of points.
How closely the individual proposals are interconnected is illustrated by the Sterckx report. I need hardly say that it would be a good thing if the Member States designated emergency port facilities and places of refuge once and for all. It would also be beneficial if an independent authority in every country determined what should actually happen after a shipwreck, so that such an incident would not trigger the establishment of discussion forums but a decision. In the event of a shipping disaster, it is, of course, inconceivable that the skipper of the rescue craft would ask the captain whether he was insured, and, on being told that the shipowner had not insured the vessel properly, would then refuse to help and return to base. It goes without saying that the rescue crew would have to render assistance. The question about insurance has to be asked as part of the port-State control process. That is also what is envisaged in the Vlasto report, on which we reached agreement.
Where we were not entirely in agreement, as Dirk Sterckx has already mentioned, was the question of which fishing vessels should be equipped with which systems. This is all about maximising safety. I remain convinced that it makes little sense to equip vessels less than 24 metres in length with automatic identification systems and that the same results could certainly be achieved with other shore-based resources. Accident statistics do not tell us much. To be consistent, we would have to include all private craft, not only the small fishing vessels. It may be, however, that another technological solution will emerge in future.
Let me make a few remarks on port-State control, partly on behalf of my honourable colleague Robert Navarro, who cannot be here today. I believe it makes good sense to abandon the rigid principle of checking 25% of vessels. That was probably quite necessary as a first step, but checking 25% in every Member State is less useful than what is now in the offing, namely concentration on high-risk vessels. This means checking all suspect operators, from the black sheep to those in every tone of grey from dark to light. There is little point, however, in checking white sheep. A targeted checking process is undoubtedly the logical approach.
One thing, however, is absolutely crucial, and it has been missing from the Commission's proposals, although we stressed the need for it in both the Sterckx report and the report from the temporary committee on improving safety at sea (the MARE Committee). Everything relating to the human factor – the welfare dimension, in other words good working conditions on board – affects the safety of a ship. As well as a ship being in good technical order, it is certainly essential that the welfare of those on board should be guaranteed. If that is not the case, the general safety of the vessel will be diminished.
As we have repeatedly said in this House, 80% of accidents result from human error. This is why we need more proposals from the Commission that relate to this human factor, including ideas on safety monitoring. Only then can this matter be closed."@en1
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