Brussels, 11/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted the recommendation of German Christian Democrat, George Jarzembovski on the Council's common position on opening up port services to competition. Parliament has followed its transport committee by adding many amendments but without rejecting it, as demanded by the Greens/EFA and the GUE/NGL. Parliament's vote is demanding the exclusion of tug boat services from the field of application of the direction and authorises the sub contractors (possibility for a company to sue its own staff for port services acquired) provided that they are qualified. It threw out several amendments from the Greens, rejecting self-help in European ports. It also judged that the amendments of the GUE/NGL and the PES requesting a reference in the directive on the Conventions of the International Labour Organisation, as inadmissible. Parliament's position is in opposition to the Council's and thus opens the way to a conciliation procedure. Dockers opposed to the self-help system demonstrated for two days in Strasbourg: see below).
A clear majority (453 for, 79 against and 2 abstentions), Parliament therefore excludes tug boat services from the directive for safety and environmental reasons. It considers that the draft directive, which will demand that the port authorities launch appeals for tender for port services, should be limited to towing, mooring and handling. Parliament is accepting subcontractors, which are qualified: subcontracting can therefore be limited to land based navigation staff, as sought by the Council (366 for, 163 against and 8 abstentions) and in the strict respect for national regulation in employment, training and vocational qualifications. According to the EP, Member States can limit sub-contracting to users of boats flying a flag of a Member State (322 for, 195 against and 6 abstentions) in order to prevent flying flags of convenience that do not respect EU maritime safety criteria. Parliament also adopted two amendments from the Liberals requesting subcontractors to be treated in the same way as port service providers and which will have to meet the same social standards and vocational qualifications, as well as respect for identical criteria for granting authorisations. Parliament also adopted amendments form its committee for strengthening financial transparency when port infrastructures receive public funding, as well on the validity of authorisations for carrying out port service activities (see EUROPE 22 February p 14).