Implementation of the EU strategy for the Danube region with regard to navigability

18.7.2011

Question for written answer E-007406/2011
to the Commission
Rule 117
Barbara Lochbihler (Verts/ALE) , Eva Lichtenberger (Verts/ALE) , Martin Häusling (Verts/ALE) , Michael Cramer (Verts/ALE) , Heide Rühle (Verts/ALE) , Gerald Häfner (Verts/ALE) , Ulrike Lunacek (Verts/ALE) and Elisabeth Schroedter (Verts/ALE)

The European Council on 24 June 2011 approved the EU strategy for the Danube region, while referring to the Council conclusions of 13 April 2011, in which Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania expressed their reservations about the target proposed in Section 3.1 of the Commission communication (COM(2010)0715), to ‘remove existing navigability bottlenecks on the river so as to accommodate type VIb vessels all year round by 2015’.

On 17 February 2011 Parliament adopted a resolution on implementing the EU strategy for the Danube region, paragraph 33 of which calls on the Commission to respect the commitments under the Joint Statement on the Development of Inland Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Danube River Basin. This amounts to a rejection of the Commission’s proposal in the abovementioned Section 3.1, which goes further than the Joint Statement in laying down minimum requirements for development measures with regard to waterway class, annuality and draught.

The Commission has not yet provided any information about how it will comply with the demands of the above Member States and the European Parliament.

To what extent is the Commission taking steps to remove the lack of clarity about the degree of development and make appropriate corrections to take account of the abovementioned concerns of the other European institutions, to provide certainty in the forthcoming implementation phase?

What action will the Commission take to ensure that the Member States can comply with their commitments under the Joint Statement on the Development of Inland Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Danube River Basin?

What measures will the Commission take to ensure transparency in the decision-making and implementation bodies and independence in the expert groups?

OJ C 146 E, 24/05/2012