Brussels, 08/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - During heated public debate on Monday 7 April, member states marked their disapproval of the last two proposals (directive on flag state obligations and directive on the civil liability of shipowners) of the third maritime package. They prefer to act in an international rather than a Community framework. Highly politicised, the debate will continue above all to find a compromise with the parliament that adopted the whole of the spring 2007 package (see EUROPE 9398 and 9412).
Presented by the Commission in 2005 as part of the Erika III package, these two proposals aimed to strengthen maritime safety in Europe, ensure a harmonised system of compensating victims of maritime accidents and, in time, of ensure the EU has a leadership role when it comes to maritime safety. Speaking to the press after the council, Jacques Barrot did not hide the fact that these two latest proposals of the package “are a problem”. “I believe that many ministers have perhaps not taken the measure of our responsibility as Europeans which is in no way contrary to that which we exercise within the IMO (International Maritime Organisation), but we will be all the stronger for demanding a global solution that we shall have promoted as our European solution”, he said. Radovan Zerjav, current-President-in-Office of the Council and Slovenian Transport Minister, said “on behalf of all the member states” that they were in “favour of the objectives of both directives” but that a balance must be found between the regional measures (Ed. proposed by the Commission) and international measures recommended by member states. He gave his assurance that the Slovenian Presidency had set itself the priority of following through examination of the third package on maritime safety and implementing it as soon as possible.
Most delegations were opposed to IMO conventions on flag state control (the voluntary system of audit and code of conduct that is not binding on the obligations of the flag state) become binding at European level. On the other hand, they agreed to make a voluntary assessment of the flag state in the context of the IMO and to make this system mandatory at international level. As far as the civil responsibility of shipowners is concerned, member states simply ratified, in the shortest possible time, the LLMC convention (IMO convention on limitation of liability on maritime claims). Supported by France, as well as by Spain, Italy and Bulgaria, the two proposals stumble up against opposition from Germany and the United Kingdom, and to a certain extent from about ten other member states, especially Greece, Cyprus and Malta as well as the countries of the north of the EU. The Council will have to seek a compromise with Parliament which fiercely defends the strengthening of the EU's position on maritime safety. Council and Parliament must thus pursue their work on the five other proposals of the package on which the Council has already reached a political agreement. (A.By.)