HC Deb 29 November 1994 vol 250 cc659-60W
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the result of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 21 and 22 November.

Dr. Mawhinney

The Transport Council met in Brussels on 21 and 22 November. It agreed a resolution on ferry safety, calling for a number of detailed initiatives at International Maritime Organisation and Community level.

A common position was reached on a directive giving the force of European Community law to the Paris memorandum of understanding on port state control, which lays down rules for state inspection of foreign ships. At my request, the council agreed to call on the Commission to work with the countries of the Paris MOU group to monitor the standard of shipping in EC ports and to report back to the council within a year with proposals for tougher measures as necessary.

A draft directive on mandatory reporting by ships— EUROREP—was discussed. Much of the text was agreed by the council, but the key issues of concern to the United Kingdom—finalising reporting lines, adoption of EUROREP by the IMO and the directive's date of entry into force—were referred back to the committee of permanent representatives for further discussion.

The Commission outlined a proposal to consider granting individual exemptions from competition rules to groups of shipping companies that offer multimodal rates, provided they improve the efficiency of their land-side operations. Some member states supported the proposal. I, supported by a number of other delegations, pressed for the proposal to be considered afresh, in consultation with the commercial parties involved and with our major trading partners. In the absence of consensus, the presidency concluded that the position should be closely monitored; that the council should be consulted immediately if there were any unforeseen difficulties; that the transition to the new approach should be conducted in a reasonable and flexible manner; and that in any event the Commission should report to the council on experience with the new approach.

The council also formally adopted three measures on which it had previously reached a common position: a directive on the training and certification of seafarers, a directive on rules and standards for classification societies and a regulation on port fees for oil tankers.

The council agreed a resolution calling for a European contribution to the development of a global satellite navigation system.

It agreed that consideration of the negotiating mandates for aviation and land transport agreements and Switzerland should be resumed immediately, with a view to agreeing them, at the latest, at the next Transport Council in March 1995.

There was an exchange of views on the scope of a draft directive on the interoperability of the high-speed train network. The matter was referred back to Coreper for further discussion.

The council discussed a proposed directive on the appointment of dangerous goods advisers by companies concerned with the transport of dangerous goods. The United Kingdom, supported by a number of other delegations, questioned the need for such a directive. A compromise proposal was referred back to Coreper for further discussion.

The council also discussed trans-European networks, air traffic management, road transport negotiations with eastern European countries and measures to help Community shipping. No votes were necessary.

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