Brussels, 29/08/2007 (Agence Europe) - In a letter sent to the president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, on Tuesday 28 August, the French president of the GUE/NGL group, Francis Wurtz, called on the Commission to present a declaration at the next plenary session (3-6 September), followed by a debate on its decision regarding restructuring of the Gdansk shipyard (EUROPE 9473 and 9474). In his request for the session agenda to be changed, the MEP explained that it would be necessary for the Commission to provide an explanation on, “the serious threats to the future of the Gdansk shipyards”. He also denounced the, “narrowness of the criteria the all-powerful DG Competition at the Commission used and abused when 'regulating the market'”.
Last week the Gdansk shipyard authorities decided to reduce shipyard capacity, in keeping with the European Commission demand that they provide the Commission with information about planned reductions at Gdansk before 21 August. If this had not been forthcoming, a demand could have been made requesting the recovery of all aid granted to the shipyard since Poland's accession to the European Union in 2004 (EUROPE 9473). According to the plan, all dry docks could be closed over the next three years unless an investor is found and who is able to buy out 75% of the shipyard shares and fund construction of a single dry dock that is able to replace all the other dry docks. Roman Galezwski, a member of the board of directors at the shipyard informed the Polish newspaper, “Rzeczpospolita” on 21 August that, “We have carried out a detailed financial analysis (presented to the European Commission last week) which shows that despite the closure of the dry docks, we will not be profitable unless we find an investor capable of modernising the yard”. According to the newspaper, two companies (the Donbass Industrial Union and FVH from Italy) are shipyard buyout candidates. The decision raised a wave of protests among shipyard employees. A delegation of around a hundred members of “Solidarnosc”, for which Gdansk was the birth place, will go to Brussels on 31 August to protest against the Commission decision. The union will be celebrating its 27th birthday but fears reduced shipyard capacity could lead to closure. Speaking to the Polish news agency on Tuesday, its spokesperson for the European Commissioner for competition, Neelie Kroes, declared that she would be willing to meet the protesters. The decision of the Commission was expected on 29 August but the services have not yet completed the analysis of the information provided by the Polish authorities. (aby)