Brussels, 16/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's Conference of President postponed, until next week, its vote over the creation of a temporary committee to explain the disaster of the Prestige oil tanker, as requested by the plenary in its resolution of 23 September (EUROPE of 24 September, p. 13). This vote, which should have taken place on Wednesday evening, was postponed until 23 October, date of the next meeting by the Conference of Presidents, due to a disagreement between the political groups over this committees mandate.
Three proposals have been tabled: one signed by the five political groups (ESP, ELDR, Greens/ALE, GUE/NGL and EDD), one by the EPP-ED and one by the EPP-ED and ELDR. The latter text should be a compromise between the two other texts, explained its author, the Belgian Liberal Dirk Sterckx. However, for the Greens this compromise is unacceptable. In fact, while the proposal by the five political groups provides the committee with a mandate to notably examine 'the causes and consequences' of the Prestige disaster, the draft compromise limits this mandate to investigating the consequences of the disaster, deplore the Greens. For the Green co-President Monica Frassoni, this is a case of 'betrayal.' The draft compromise was unknown to the other groups, she told the press. For his part, Mr Sterckx stated his 'surprise' towards this position: according to him, the aim of the temporary committee must be to investigate the issue of maritime safety and not to 'judge.' The Parliament's role is to find the causes and remedies, not the guilty, he said, while adding: this is not a tribunal.
The political groups should reach an agreement by next week in order to enable the conference of Presidents to rapidly take a decision allowing for the establishment of the temporary committee, with a six month mandate and the presentation and vote of a report will be decided in plenary by vote.