Ship recycling
30.5.2013
Question for written answer E-006130-13
to the Commission
Rule 117
Sławomir Nitras (PPE)
On 23 March 2012, the Commission published a proposal for a regulation on ship recycling. According to this regulation, ships flying the flag of EU Member States would only be allowed to be recycled in facilities meeting ship recycling environmental requirements. This was followed by the amendments adopted in the Schlyter report, in which Parliament advocated a European Recycling Fund. Furthermore, ships are to be required to draw up an inventory of hazardous materials found on board, and if they carry a greater amount than permitted, they will be subject to fines.
In relation to this proposed legislation, I should like to ask the Commission the following questions:
- 1.How will the Commission ensure that regulation COM(2012) 118 final of 23 March 2012 does not reduce the competitiveness of European ports?
- 2.What is the Commission’s assessment of the risk of an increase in unnecessary bureaucracy as a result of having to collect a levy from ships calling at EU ports, and what does it intend to do to eliminate this risk?
- 3.Who is going to supervise the materials carried by ships, how is this going to be done and, if more than the permitted amount of hazardous materials is found, who is going to enforce the fines? What kind of fines are envisaged?
- 4.How does the Commission intend to guarantee that the people employed in ship recycling facilities will have the appropriate conditions in terms of both work and training associated with this work?
- 5.How does the Commission view the likelihood of a reduction in the living standards of workers at ship recycling facilities in Bangladesh and other countries in Asia, and what steps does it intend to take to mitigate this negative effect of its regulation?
- 6.What is the possibility that regional shipyards in Member States could become ship recycling facilities? Is the Commission planning to provide funding for the possible conversion of shipyards and ship repair yards to ship recycling facilities?
OJ C 42 E, 13/02/2014