Brussels, 15/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament is in favour of the idea of making it easier to change the registration of boats under a Community flag within the EU, but has rejected the idea of assing the EU emblem (the twelve stars) to the flags of ships flying the flag of the Member States. This idea, which was put forward in two amendments by the Parliament's transport committee "with a view to better identification", was overwhelmingly rejected on Tuesday (369 against, 137 for and 6 abstentions, and 458 against, 44 for, 5 abstentions) in the vote on the report by French Socialist Bernard Poignant on the proposed regulation to update the regime in force for changing the registration of chips within the EU (co-decision, first reading). It had already come up against the opposition of certain Member States, notably the United Kingdom.
The proposed regulation aims to update, extend and reinforce the rules in place for changing ship registration within the EU, in order to cut costs and administrative procedures for ships and the improve trade conditions and competitiveness in maritime transport on the Community territory (see EUROPE of 6 August). Supporting the proposal, the Parliament adopted a range of Socialist amendments, setting the scope of the regulation. Parliament feels that it should not apply: - to boats being delivered after the completion of construction work, which do not carry current non-provisional certificates of authenticity granted by the Member State of outgoing registration; - to ships which have been denied access to European ports in the three years preceding the request for registration, or detained more than once in the three years prior to the request; - to warships; - to ships which are not propelled by mechanical means; - to wooden boats of rudimentary construction; - the pleasure yachts used for non-commercial ends; - to fishing boats; - to ships with a gross tonnage under 500 tonnes.
Last December, the Transport Council agreed on a general guideline on the proposal, which attracted no objection on the part of the Member States (EUROPE of 6 December, p.10).