RAPORT referitor la propunerea de regulament al Parlamentului European şi al Consiliului privind răspunderea în caz de accident a transportatorilor de persoane pe mare sau pe căi navigabile interioare

8.3.2007 - COM(2005)0592 – C6‑0057/2006 – 2005/0241(COD)) - ***I

Comisia pentru transport şi turism
Raportor: Paolo Costa

PROIECT DE REZOLUŢIE LEGISLATIVĂ A PARLAMENTULUI EUROPEAN

referitor la propunerea de regulament al Parlamentului European şi al Consiliului privind răspunderea în caz de accident a transportatorilor de persoane pe mare sau pe căi navigabile interioare (COM(2005)0592 – C6‑0057/2006 – 2005/0241(COD))

(Procedura de codecizie: prima lectură)

Parlamentul European,

–   având în vedere propunerea Comisiei înaintată Parlamentului European şi Consiliului (COM(2005)0592)[1],

–   având în vedere articolul 251 alineatul (2) şi articolul 80 alineatul (2) din Tratatul CE, în temeiul cărora propunerea a fost prezentată de către Comisie (C6-0057/2006),

–   având în vedere articolul 51 din Regulamentul său de procedură,

–   având în vedere raportul Comisiei pentru transport şi turism şi avizul Comisiei pentru afaceri juridice (A6-0063/2007),

1.  aprobă propunerea Comisiei astfel cum a fost modificată;

2.  solicită Comisiei să îl sesizeze din nou, în cazul în care intenţionează să modifice în mod substanţial această propunere sau să o înlocuiască cu un alt text;

3.  încredinţează Preşedintelui sarcina de a transmite Consiliului şi Comisiei poziţia Parlamentului.

Text propus de Comisie	Amendamentele Parlamentului
Amendamentul 1 Considerentul 3a (nou)
	(3a) Aranjamentele de asigurare impuse de Convenţia Atena 2002 trebuie să fie adecvate capacităţilor armatorilor şi ale societăţilor de asigurări. Armatorii trebuie să fie în măsură să îşi gestioneze aranjamentele de asigurări în mod acceptabil din punct de vedere economic şi trebuie să se ţină seama de natura sezonieră a activităţii lor, în special în cazul armatorilor mici care operează servicii de transport intern. Perioada de tranziţie prevăzută pentru aplicarea prezentului regulament trebuie să fie suficient de lungă pentru a permite aplicarea asigurării obligatorii prevăzute de prezentul regulament fără a afecta regimurile actuale de asigurări.
Justificare
If the system of compensation is to function realistically and effectively, insurance companies must be able to fulfil the provisions of the Convention, and there must also be a way to ensure the viability and competitiveness of shipping companies, particularly those of small and medium size.
Amendamentul 2 Considerentul 4
(4) Este necesar ca transportatorului să i se impună să plătească un avans în caz de deces sau vătămare corporală a unui pasager.	(4) Este necesar ca transportatorului să i se impună să plătească un avans în caz de deces sau vătămare corporală a unui pasager, plata avansului neconstituind recunoaşterea culpei.
Justificare
It should be clarified that any advance payments to a passenger made while the process of establishing fault and/or liability is ongoing should not constitute recognition of liability in legal terms.
Amendamentul 3 Considerentul 5
(5) Pasagerii ar trebui informaţi înainte de începerea călătoriei despre noile drepturi care le-au fost conferite.	(5) Pasagerilor ar trebui să le fie furnizate informaţii complete şi uşor accesibile înainte de începerea călătoriei despre noile drepturi care le-au fost conferite.
Justificare
To guarantee a high standard of information for passengers on their new rights.
Amendamentul 4 Considerentul 7a (nou)
	(7a) Deoarece este nevoie de o consultare mai intensă între statele membre în ceea ce priveşte siguranţa maritimă, este vital să se reevalueze competenţele AESM şi să se analizeze o posibilă lărgire a competenţelor sale.
Justificare
As with the European Aviation Safety Agency, it appears vital to consider whether the EMSA’s powers might need to be extended and, if its powers are indeed increased, whether this would boost the EU’s capacity to respond to maritime accidents.
Amendamentul 5 Considerentul 7b (nou)
	(7b) Autorităţile naţionale, în special autorităţile portuare, joacă un rol fundamental şi vital în identificarea şi gestionarea diverselor riscuri la adresa siguranţei maritime.
Justificare
Reference should be made to the fundamental role played by national authorities and particularly the port authorities in the timely identification and management of the various risks to maritime safety.
Amendamentul 6 Articolul 3 alineatul (1)
Răspunderea transportatorului sau a transportorului de fapt faţă de pasageri şi bagajele lor este reglementată de toate dispoziţiile referitoare la aceasta din Convenţia Atena 2002.	Răspunderea transportatorului sau a transportorului de fapt faţă de pasageri şi bagajele lor este reglementată de toate dispoziţiile referitoare la aceasta din Convenţia Atena 2002, inclusiv de rezerva de la punctul 1 din orientările privind punerea în aplicare a convenţiei, adoptate de Comisia juridică a OMI la 19 octombrie 2006, ambele texte fiind anexate la prezentul regulament.
Justificare
The special scheme for liability concerning terrorist risk that has been set up by IMO legal Committee should be upheld in order to reach a financially sustainable coverage of those risks through the insurance market.
Amendamentul 7 Articolul 4 alineatul (1)
Articolul 7 alineatul (2) din Convenţia Atena 2002 nu se aplică transportului de pasageri care intră sub incidenţa prezentului regulament, decât în cazul în care toate statele membre sunt de acord cu aplicarea sa în cadrul unei modificări a prezentului regulament.	Articolul 7 alineatul (2) din Convenţia Atena 2002 nu se aplică transportului de pasageri care intră sub incidenţa prezentului regulament, cu excepţia cazului în care Parlamentul European şi Consiliul, hotărând în conformitate cu procedura prevăzută la articolul 251 din tratat, modifică prezentul regulament în acest sens.
Justificare
As article 7(2) of the Athens Convention concerns the limit of liability for death and personal injury, it is safer to specify that the application of this provision can be amended only through co-decision procedure.
This technical amendment corrects an unlawful drafting from the Commission and JURI as it is possible neither to require unanimity for the adoption or the amendment of a Regulation taken in codecision (Commission and JURI) nor to ignore the competence of the Parliament in the codecision process (JURI).
Amendamentul 8 Articolul 4 alineatul (1a) (nou)
	Articolul 19 din Convenţia Atena 2002 nu se aplică transportului de pasageri care intră sub incidenţa prezentului regulament.
Justificare
Article 19 of the Athens Convention 2002 states that: "This Convention shall not modify the rights or duties of the carrier, the performing carrier, and their servants or agents provided for in international conventions relating to the limitation of liability of owners of seagoing ships."
As it stands, Article 19 would authorise a carrier liable for death or injury to passengers on the basis of the Athens Convention 2002 to limit his liability by referring to global liability ceilings imposed by other international Conventions[2]. In some case, these global liability ceilings might prevent passengers from recovering a substantial part of their claims under the Athens Convention which entitles passengers to recover 250 000 SDR minimum without any global ceiling (a global ceiling fixes a total amount for all claims for any given incident/accident).
The consequence of this amendment will be that no other international Convention could be opposed to victims to limit their claims for death or injury on the basis of Article 3.1 and 7 of the Athens Convention.
Amendamentul 9 Articolul 5
În caz de deces sau vătămare corporală a unui pasager, transportatorul trebuie să plătească un avans care să acopere necesităţile economice imediate, în termen de 15 zile de la identificarea persoanei îndreptăţite să primească despăgubiri. În caz de deces, avansul nu poate fi inferior sumei de 21 000 EUR.	În caz de deces sau vătămare corporală a unui pasager ca urmare a unui incident sau accident maritim, transportatorul sau transportatorul de fapt trebuie să plătească un avans care să acopere necesităţile economice imediate, în termen de 15 zile de la identificarea persoanei îndreptăţite să primească despăgubiri. În caz de deces sau de invaliditate absolută şi permanentă a unui pasager sau în cazul în care un pasager a suferit, pe cel puţin 75% din corp, răni considerate foarte grave din punct de vedere clinic, avansul nu poate fi inferior sumei de 21 000 EUR.
Justificare
For evident reasons of justice, it is important to ensure that passengers have access to advance payment in the cases referred to, in order to cover economic needs. For reasons of justice, carriers should be able to recover the advance payment if they were in fact cleared of fault. This provision is consistent with the legislation applicable in the field of air transport, i.e. Regulation (EC) No 889/2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 2027/97.
It is necessary to limit the possibility of an advance payment to claims resulting from shipping incidents because in this case only a strict (automatic) liability is engaged (up to 300 000 euros per passenger's claim) and no fault would have to be assigned to the carrier beforehand in order to benefit from the advance payment. The advance payment will thus be swifter because it will not lead to disputations on the existence of a fault. Finally it is also fair not to allow any advance payment when the passenger has been injured following an incident which does not involved the whole ship (for example a passengers falls on the deck following abuse of alcohol).
It is also necessary to include the performing carrier whose strict liability may also be engaged following Athens Convention 2002 (Art.1.1 and 3).
Amendamentul 10 Articolul 5 alineatele (1a) şi (1b) (noi)
	O plată în avans nu constituie recunoaşterea răspunderii şi poate fi dedusă din orice sumă plătită ulterior în temeiul prezentului regulament, dar nu este rambursabilă, cu excepţia cazului în care persoana care a primit plata în avans nu a fost persoana îndreptăţită la despăgubire sau în care transportatorul nu este considerat răspunzător. Primirea unei plăţi în avans dă dreptul transportatorului, transportatorului de fapt sau pasagerului să iniţieze procedurile judiciare pentru stabilirea răspunderii şi a culpei.
Justification
A similar provision is included in Regulation (EC) 889/2002 of 13 May 2002 amending Council Regulation (EC) 2027/97 on air carrier liability in the event of accidents.
For evident reasons of justice, it is important to ensure that passengers have access to advance payment in the cases referred to, in order to cover economic needs. For reasons of justice, carriers should be able to recover the advance payment if they were in fact cleared of fault. This provision is consistent with the legislation applicable in the field of air transport, i.e. Regulation (EC) No 889/2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 2027/97.
For evident reasons of justice, it is important to ensure that passengers have access to advance payment in the cases referred to, in order to cover economic needs. For reasons of justice, carriers should be able to recover the advance payment if they were in fact cleared of fault. This provision is consistent with the legislation applicable in the field of air transport, i.e. Regulation (EC) No 889/2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 2027/97.
Amendamentul 11 Articolul 6 alineatul (1)
Transportatorul, transportatorul de fapt şi/sau agentul de voiaj trebuie să informeze pasagerii înaintea plecării cu privire la drepturile lor decurgând din prezentul regulament, în special la plafoanele despăgubirilor în caz de deces, vătămare corporală şi pierdere sau deteriorare a bagajelor, cu privire la dreptul lor de a intenta o acţiune directă împotriva asiguratorului sau a persoanei care furnizează garanţia financiară, precum şi cu privire la dreptul lor de a obţine un avans.	Transportatorul, transportatorul de fapt şi/sau agentul de voiaj trebuie să informeze pasagerii, în mod adecvat, complet şi inteligibil, înaintea plecării, cu privire la drepturile lor decurgând din prezentul regulament, în special la plafoanele despăgubirilor în caz de deces, vătămare corporală şi pierdere sau deteriorare a bagajelor, cu privire la dreptul lor de a intenta o acţiune directă împotriva asiguratorului sau a persoanei care furnizează garanţia financiară, precum şi cu privire la dreptul lor de a obţine un avans.
Justificare
Legal clarification to increase the legal certainty of the regulation and passengers’ access to information.
Amendamentul 12 Articolul 6 alineatul (2)
Informarea trebuie efectuată în forma cea mai adecvată.	Informarea trebuie efectuată într-o formă adecvată, completă şi inteligibilă şi, în cazul informărilor efectuate de operatorii turistici, în conformitate cu articolul 4 din Directiva 90/314/CEE a Consiliului din 13 iunie 1990 privind pachetele de servicii pentru călătorii, vacanţe şi circuite turistice1. ___________________ 1 JO L 158, 23.6.1990, p. 59.
Justificare
Legal clarification to increase the legal certainty of the regulation and passengers’ access to information.
Amendamentul 13 Articolul 8 alineatul (2a) (nou)
	În ceea ce priveşte transportul intern pe linii regulate de feribot, se aplică la doi ani de la [data intrării sale în vigoare sau data intrării în vigoare a Convenţiei Atena 2002 pentru Comunitate, în funcţie de care a intervenit ultima].
Justificare
A different implementation deadline for domestic ferry lines should be offered to carriers as to ensure efficient and financially sustainable civil liability coverage.
Amendamentul 14 Articolul 8 alineatul (2b) (nou)
	În ceea ce priveşte transportul pe căi navigabile interioare, se aplică la patru ani de la [data intrării sale în vigoare sau data intrării în vigoare a Convenţiei Atena 2002 pentru Comunitate, în funcţie de care a intervenit ultima].
Justification
See justification to amendment 1. A longer deadline for inland waterway transport is necessary because carriers are not covered by P&I clubs
Amendamentul 15 Articolul 8 alineatul (2c) (nou)
	În ceea ce priveşte transportul intern pe linii regulate de feribot în regiunile care intră sub incidenţa articolului 299 alineatul (2) din tratat, se aplică la patru ani de la [data intrării sale în vigoare sau data intrării în vigoare a Convenţiei Atena 2002 pentru Comunitate, în funcţie de care a intervenit ultima].
Justification
In line with the rapporteur’s position, a different implementation deadline for domestic ferry lines should be offered to carriers so as to ensure efficient and financially sustainable civil liability coverage.
The provision concerning the regions described in Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty makes it possible to set a different implementation deadline for domestic ferry lines in these regions in order to ensure efficient and financially sustainable civil liability coverage that is adapted to the permanent constraints on these regions.

• [1]  Nepublicată încă în JO.
• [2]  For claims relating to death or injury to passengers, the LLMC (Convention on limitation of liability for maritime claims - Article 7) has a global liability ceiling of 175 000 SDR multiplied by number of passengers and the CLNI (Convention on limitation of liability for inland navigation (Rhine and Moselle) - Article 7) has a global liability ceiling of 60 000 SDR multiplied by the number of passengers.

EXPUNERE DE MOTIVE

EU passengers' rights have been firmly present on the agenda of the common transport policy since the publication of Commission's White paper in 2001[1]. As an integral part of this agenda, the protection of EU passengers under an efficient system of liability has been relayed in the different transport modes through the ratification of the Montreal Convention[2] and additional EC rules[3] for air transport and through the publication of Commission's Proposal of Regulation on International Rail Passengers’ Rights and Obligations[4].

As far as passengers by sea are concerned, the implementation of a liability system in EC has been more complex.

The Commission presented on 24 June 2003 a proposal for a Council decision concerning the conclusion by the European Community of the Protocol of 2002 to the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea[5], the Commission proposed that the Community becomes a Contracting Party to the Protocol at the earliest possible moment and that the Member States shall do likewise before the end of 2005.

As no progress has been made on this Proposal within the Council, the Proposal under examination now aims at incorporating the Athens Convention into EC law and adds some adaptations to it, in particular on its scope of implementation.

The proposal will guarantee a level playing field at EU level for civil liability concerning damages caused to passengers and to their belongings, by ship.

The overall objective followed by Commission has to be upheld. Issues of primary importance are tackled and the Proposal should provide to passengers by sea a comprehensive liability scheme, offering a good harmonised basis on civil liability.

1. The Athens Convention

Introduction

The Protocol of 2002 to the Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, 1974, was adopted on 1 November 2002.

The 2002 protocol should enter into force 12 months after being accepted by 10 States, which is not yet the case.

The EU Member States which have signed the 2002 protocol are: FI, DE, ES, SE, UK

The Protocol introduces compulsory insurance to cover passengers on ships and raises the limits of liability. It also introduces other mechanisms to assist passengers in obtaining compensation, based on well-accepted principles applied in existing liability and compensation regimes dealing with environmental pollution. These include replacing the fault-based liability system with a strict liability system for shipping related incidents, backed by the requirement that the carrier take out compulsory insurance to cover these potential claims.

The limits contained in the Protocol set a maximum limit, empowering - but not obliging - national courts to compensate for death, injury or damage up to these limits.

The Protocol also includes an "opt-out" clause, enabling State Parties to retain or introduce higher limits of liability (or unlimited liability) in the case of carriers who are subject to the jurisdiction of their courts.

Compulsory insurance

A new Article 4bis of the Convention requires carriers to maintain insurance or other financial security, such as the guarantee of a bank or similar financial institution, to cover the limits for strict liability under the Convention in respect of the death of and personal injury to passengers.

The limit of the compulsory insurance or other financial security shall not be less than 250,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) (about Euros 300 000) per passenger on each distinct occasion. Ships are to be issued with a certificate attesting that insurance or other financial security is in force and a model certificate is attached to the Protocol in an Annex.

Limits of liability

The limits of liability have been raised significantly under the Protocol, to reflect present day conditions and the mechanism for raising limits in the future has been made easier.

The carrier is liable, unless the carrier proves that the incident resulted from an act of war, hostilities, civil war, insurrection or a natural phenomenon of an exceptional, inevitable and irresistible character; or was wholly caused by an act or omission done with the intent to cause the incident by a third party.

If the loss exceeds the limit, the carrier is further liable - up to a limit of 400,000 SDR (480 000 euros) per passenger on each distinct occasion - unless the carrier proves that the incident which caused the loss occurred without the fault or neglect of the carrier.

For the loss suffered as a result of the death of or personal injury to a passenger not caused by a shipping incident, the carrier is liable if the incident which caused the loss was due to the fault or neglect of the carrier. The burden of proving fault or neglect lies with the claimant.

The liability of the carrier only includes loss arising from incidents that occurred in the course of the carriage. The burden of proving that the incident which caused the loss occurred in the course of the carriage, and the extent of the loss, lies with the claimant.

Loss of or damage to luggage and vehicles:

- The liability of the carrier for the loss of or damage to cabin luggage is limited to 2,250 SDR per passenger, per carriage.

- The liability of the carrier for the loss of or damage to vehicles including all luggages carried in or on the vehicle is limited to 12,700 SDR per vehicle, per carriage.

- The liability of the carrier for the loss of or damage to other luggage is limited to 3,375 SDR per passenger, per carriage.

- The carrier and the passenger may agree that the liability of the carrier shall be subject to a deductible not exceeding 330 SDR in the case of damage to a vehicle and not exceeding 149 SDR per passenger in the case of loss of or damage to other luggage, such sum to be deducted from the loss or damage.

"Opt-out" Clause

The Protocol allows a State Party to regulate by specific provisions of national law the limit of liability for personal injury and death, provided that the national limit of liability, if any, is not lower than that prescribed in the Protocol.

Amendment of limits

The 2002 Protocol introduces a new tacit acceptance procedure for raising the limits of liability. A proposal to amend the limits, as requested by at least one-half of the Parties to the Protocol, would be circulated to all IMO Member States and al States Parties and would then be discussed in the IMO Legal Committee. Amendments would be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the States Parties to the Convention as amended by the Protocol present and voting in the Legal Committee, and amendments would enter into force 18 months after its deemed acceptance date. The deemed acceptance date would be 18 months after adoption, unless within that period not less than one fourth of the States that were States Parties at the time of the adoption of the amendment have communicated to the IMO Secretary-General that they do not accept the amendment.

Regional Economic Integration Organizations

For the first time in an IMO Convention, a regional economic integration organization may sign up the document. An article in the Protocol states that a Regional Economic Integration Organization, which is constituted by sovereign States that have transferred competence over certain matters governed by this Protocol to that Organization, may sign, ratify, accept, approve or accede to the Protocol. A Regional Economic Integration Organization which is a Party to this Protocol will have the rights and obligations of a State Party, to the extent that the Regional Economic Integration Organization has competence over matters governed by this Protocol.

2. What are the current rules governing liability for transport of passengers by sea in the EU?

As long as the Athens Convention is not approved and/or incorporated in EU law, liability issues for passengers by sea will be governed by two sets of law: the internal law of the Member States and the international law for those Member States that have ratified the 1976 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC)[6] or its 1996 Protocol[7].

The liability ceiling foreseen in the two versions of the LLMC are different, the 1996 Protocol which is more "generous" however has a lower liability ceiling than the one foreseen in the Athens Convention. (see table)

	Maximal amount of reparation per passenger
Athens Convention (1974)	- 46 666 SDR[8]
Athens Convention (as modified in 2002) (	- 250 000 SDR[9] (full liability for maritime incidents) - 400 000 SDR[10] (liability for fault)
LLMC 1976	46 666 SDR[11] with a global limitation of 25 millions SDR[12]
LLMC 1996 Protocol	175 000 SDR[13]

The incorporation of the Athens Convention in EC law would thus give a stronger protection for passengers at EU level while generating some difficulties as regard the coordination of these sets of law.

3. Additional provisions to Athens Convention in the Proposal

Extension of the scope of application to domestic traffic (cabotage) and inland waterways: The scope of the proposed Regulation is wider compared to the scope of the Athens Convention 2002. It covers the scope of the Athens Convention (in order to make the whole Convention fully enforceable within the EU), but is extended to carriage within a single Member State and traffic on inland waterway.

The proposed Regulation removes the possibility for Member States under the Athens Convention 2002 of fixing limits of liability higher than those provided for in the Convention. The Commission invokes as a justification the aim of having total uniformity within the EU.

For damage or loss of mobility equipment/medical equipment belonging to a passenger with reduced mobility, the compensation will be, at the maximum, equivalent to the replacement value of the equipment. This provision is in line with the Proposal on rail's passenger's rights as it stands now in codecision.

An advance payment is provided for in line with the scheme foreseen for air and rail sectors.

Finally, a pre-journey information provision is foreseen, it concerns in particular information on the limits of compensation for death, personal injury or loss and damage of luggage, the right of direct action against the insurer or the person providing financial security and on the entitlement to an advance payment. No particular mean of information is provided for in the Proposal (contrary to air transport - see Regulation on the Blacklist of air carriers and the identity of performing carrier).

4. Position of the Rapporteur

· Extension of the scope of application to domestic traffic (cabotage) and inland waterway transport. It has been mentioned that the implementation of this Proposal to cabotage transport and to inland waterways would create an unnecessary burden for the operators in this sector. But no precise elements have been yet put on the table showing the inadequacy of the extension of the scheme for those markets, particularly concerning the liability ceiling. The Rapporteur is of the opinion that this extension is feasible and that the insurance market will have the capacity to insure these type of risks with a reasonable extra cost for the passengers. However, as operators of domestic traffic by sea and inland waterways are not familiar with the schemes implemented at international level and that the insurance market will have to be mobilised to organise the guarantee and direct actions on risks, it is suggested those operators and actors in the insurance market be given a supplementary deadlines for applying the Regulation, two years for regular ferry lines operating on domestic traffic by sea and four years for inland waterways should be a sufficient time frame in this view.

· Pre-journey information: this provision has to be upheld but it would have to be in line with what has been done in other transport modes (in the air sector, see the Regulation on identity of air carriers). The content of obligation to inform could be made more precise later on (attached to the ticket (general sales conditions) and/or inserted in the brochures).

· Treatment of terrorist risks

The issue of the inclusion, exclusion or special treatment for the terrorist risk in the liability scheme of the Athens Convention is at present under discussion at IMO (legal committee-LEG). It is linked to a so called impossibility of insuring those risks (at least from the P&I point of view) with regard to Article 3.1 (b) of the Convention which states that the carrier is not liable only unless he proves that the incident "was wholly caused by an act or omission done with the intent to cause the incident by a third party". The compromise would consist of having a specific coverage of terrorist risks by organising the currently available war risk insurance in such a way as to establish an entity similar to the P&I Clubs that could act as the provider of insurance cover. This entity could issue a financial guarantee only in respect of the war risk part of the insurance, and be 100% reinsured in the war risk market. According to the latest information from IMO, a London broker would be ready to cover these risks.

Hence a compromise could be found on this issue in the next session of the LEG in October but these discussions will probably not be completed before adoption of the Report at first reading. However the issue could be dealt with through amendments to the Proposal if a special treatment of terrorist risks appears necessary and if EP wants to have the right to co-decide now on this issue and/or wants terrorist risks to be clearly in the scope of the Regulation.

• [1]  White Paper “European transport policy for 2010: time to decide”, COM(2001)0370 of 12.9.2001.
• [2]  Council Decision (2001/539/EC) of 5 April 2001 on the conclusion by the European Community of the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air (the Montreal Convention).
• [3]  Regulation (2027/1997) on air carrier liability in case of accidents as modified by Regulation (889/2002/EC).
• [4]  COM(2004)0143, amended by TRAN (Report EP/ TRAN (A6-0123/2005))
• [5]  COM(2003)0375.
• [6]  FR, LT, NL have ratified the LLMC 1976 but not the Athens Convention.
• [7]  DK, FI, DE and MT have ratified the LLMC 1996 Protocol but not the Athens Convention.
• [8] 56 000 €.
• [9] 300 000 €.
• [10] 480 000 €.
• [11] 56 000 €.
• [12] 30 millions €.
• [13] 210 000 €.

AVIZ al ComisiEI pentru afaceri juridice (22.11.2006)

for the Committee on Transport and Tourism

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the liability of carriers of passengers by sea and inland waterways in the event of accidents

(COM(2005)0592 – C6‑0057/2006 – 2005/0241(COD))

Draftswoman: Piia-Noora Kauppi

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

The Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament fully supports the goal of the Commission to incorporate the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Athens Protocol of 2002 into Community legislation. Moreover, the EU maritime passenger liability regime rightly includes both sea and inland waterways in the event of accidents, adding to passenger safety.

However, before the 2002 Protocol can be brought into Community legislation, the IMO should find a global solution to two open questions related to the Protocol, namely the possibility for the insurers to offer passenger carriers insurances covering the liabilities assigned by the 2002 Protocol and the question whether the insurance fees for such insurances are reasonable for the carriers, as well as whether the carriers should be exempted from their liability in the event of accidents caused by terrorism. Concerning small carriers operating in domestic waterways, special attention should be paid to the cyclical nature of their activities. The requirement to make advance payments should only apply in the case of shipping incidents where the carriers’ liability is strict.

This regulation should, as regards its essential parts, be equivalent to the 2002 Protocol and it should be implemented at the same time as the Protocol.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Legal Affairs calls on the Committee on Transport and Tourism, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following amendments in its report:

Text proposed by the Commission[1]	Amendments by Parliament
Amendment 1 Recital 3 a (new)
	(3a) This Regulation, with the exception of the derogations set out separately therein, should be identical in substance to the Athens Convention 2002. This Regulation and the Athens Convention 2002 should be brought into force at the same time.
Amendment 2 Recital 3 b (new)
	(3b) The insurance systems required under the Convention should be reasonable for shipowners. Shipowners should be in a position to manage their insurance systems in an economically reasonable way, and, especially as regards small shipowners operating domestic services, the seasonal nature of their operations should be taken into account. The transitional period to be allowed when implementing this Regulation should be sufficiently long to enable compulsory insurance under this Regulation to be applied without prejudice to the insurance systems in force.
Amendment 3 Recital 4
(4) It is appropriate to oblige the carrier to make advance payment in the event of the death of, or personal injury to, a passenger.	(4) It is appropriate to oblige the carrier to make advance payment in the event of the death of, or personal injury to, a passenger in shipping incidents in respect of which strict liability for damage has been assigned to the carrier.
Amendment 4 Article 4, paragraph 1
Article 7(2) of the Athens Convention 2002 is not applicable to the carriage of passengers falling within the scope of this Regulation, except if all Member States agree on such an application when amending this Regulation.	Article 7(2) of the Athens Convention 2002 is not applicable to the carriage of passengers falling within the scope of this Regulation, except if all Member States agree on such an application when amending this Regulation unless the Council, acting unanimously throughout the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty, amends this Regulation.
Justification
As article 7(2) of the Athens Convention concerns the limit of liability for death and personal injury, it is safer to specify that the application of this provision can be amended only through co-decision procedure.
Amendment 5 Article 5
In the event of the death of, or personal injury to, a passenger the carrier shall make an advance payment sufficient to cover immediate economic needs, within 15 days from the identification of the person entitled to damages. In the event of death this payment shall not be less than EUR 21 000.	In the event of the death of, or personal injury to, a passenger the carrier shall make an advance payment sufficient to cover immediate economic needs, within 15 days from the identification of the person entitled to damages. In the event of death this payment shall not be less than EUR 21 000. The advance payment shall apply only in the case of shipping incidents in respect of which strict liability for damage has been assigned to the carrier. An advance payment shall not constitute recognition of liability and may be offset against any subsequent sums paid pursuant to this Regulation.
Amendment 6 Article 6, paragraph 1
The carrier, the performing carrier and/or the tour operator shall provide passengers, prior to their departure, with information regarding their rights under this Regulation, in particular with information on the limits of compensation for death, personal injury or loss and damage of luggage, on their right of direct action against the insurer or the person providing financial security and on their entitlement to an advance payment.	The carrier, the performing carrier and/or the tour operator shall provide passengers, prior to their departure, with information regarding their rights under this Regulation, in particular with information on the limits of compensation for death, personal injury or loss and damage of luggage, on their right of direct action against the insurer or the person providing financial security and on their entitlement to an advance payment regarding those shipping incidents in respect of which strict liability for damage has been assigned to the carrier.
Amendment 7 Article 8, paragraph 2
It shall apply from the date of its entry into force or from the date of the entry into force of the Athens Convention for the Community, whichever is the later.	It shall apply from the date of the entry into force of the Athens Convention for the Community and in any case from the date of the adoption by the International Maritime Organization of measures ensuring reasonable insurance costs for carriers and their exemption from liability in the event of accidents caused by terrorism, whichever is the later.

PROCEDURĂ

Titlu	Propunerea de regulament al Parlamentului European şi al Consiliului privind răspunderea în caz de accident a transportatorilor de persoane pe mare sau pe căi navigabile interioare
Referinţe	COM(2005)0592 – C6 0057/2006 – 2005/0241(COD)
Comisia competentă în fond	TRAN
Aviz emis de către   Data anunţului în plen	JURI 16.2.2006
Cooperare consolidată - data anunţului în plen
Raportor pentru aviz :   Data numirii	Piia-Noora Kauppi 23.2.2006
Raportorul pentru aviz substituit
Examinare în comisie	13.7.2006		3.10.2006	20.11.2006
Data adoptării	20.11.2006
Rezultatul votului final	+: –: 0:	13 1 0
Membri titulari prezenţi la votul final	Maria Berger, Carlo Casini, Rosa Díez González, Giuseppe Gargani, Katalin Lévai, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Achille Occhetto, Aloyzas Sakalas, Gabriele Stauner, Diana Wallis, Nicola Zingaretti, Jaroslav Zvěřina
Membri supleanţi prezenţi la votul final	Nicole Fontaine, Eva Lichtenberger, Manuel Medina Ortega
Membri supleanţi (articolul 178 alineatul (2)) prezenţi la votul final
Observaţii (date disponibile într-o singură limbă)	...

• [1]  Not yet published in OJ.

PROCEDURĂ

Titlu	Răspunderea transportatorilor de persoane pe mare sau pe căi navigabile interioare în caz de accident
Referinţe	COM(2005)0592 - C6-0057/2006 - 2005/0241(COD)
Comisia competentă în fond Data anunţului în plen	TRAN 16.2.2006
Comisia (comisiile) sesizată(e) pentru avizare Data anunţului în plen	JURI 16.2.2006
Raportor(i) Data numirii	Paolo Costa 21.3.2006
Examinare în comisie	19.4.2006		10.10.2006		23.11.2006
Data adoptării	27.2.2007
Rezultatul votului final	+: -: 0:	45 0 1
Membri titulari prezenţi la votul final	Gabriele Albertini, Inés Ayala Sender, Etelka Barsi-Pataky, Paolo Costa, Michael Cramer, Luis de Grandes Pascual, Arūnas Degutis, Christine De Veyrac, Petr Duchoň, Saïd El Khadraoui, Robert Evans, Emanuel Jardim Fernandes, Mathieu Grosch, Georg Jarzembowski, Stanisław Jałowiecki, Timothy Kirkhope, Dieter-Lebrecht Koch, Jaromír Kohlíček, Sepp Kusstatscher, Jörg Leichtfried, Bogusław Liberadzki, Eva Lichtenberger, Erik Meijer, Seán Ó Neachtain, Josu Ortuondo Larrea, Willi Piecyk, Luís Queiró, Luca Romagnoli, Gilles Savary, Brian Simpson, Renate Sommer, Dirk Sterckx, Ulrich Stockmann, Silvia-Adriana Ţicău, Georgios Toussas, Yannick Vaugrenard, Marta Vincenzi, Lars Wohlin, Corien Wortmann-Kool, Roberts Zīle
Membri supleanţi prezenţi la votul final	Zsolt László Becsey, Johannes Blokland, Philip Bradbourn, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Anne E. Jensen
Membri supleanţi (articolul 178 alineatul (2)) prezenţi la votul final	Thijs Berman