Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 16 November 2005 - Strasbourg

12. Explanations of vote

– De Veyrac report (A6-0310/2005)

  Hélène Goudin, Nils Lundgren and Lars Wohlin (IND/DEM), in writing. (SV) We have voted against the report as a whole because we believe that the Commission’s proposal is better. It is only fair that airline passengers be informed as to which carrier is operating a particular flight so that they are able to take carefully considered decisions from, for example, a safety perspective. We support the Commission’s proposal that the Member States gather security information with a view to passing it on to the Commission and other Member States, but we object to Parliament’s proposal to introduce instead a Community list and, in that way, centralise the administration of the data.

  Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE), in writing. (PT) I wish to congratulate Mrs De Veyrac on her important and timely report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the information of air transport passengers on the identity of the operating carrier and on communication of safety information by Member States. I support the report, and wish to highlight the proposal to broaden the competence of the European Aviation Safety Agency and to give it a central role in publishing safety measures relating to aircraft of third-country carriers.

The blacklist should be published not only by the Commission but also by each Member State, ticket sellers, national civil aviation authorities and airports in Member States, in order to ensure that passengers are kept properly informed and that the objectives of this proposal are properly met.

  David Martin (PSE), in writing. This is a very timely proposal initially in reaction to concerns raised after the Sharm-el-Sheikh air accident (which killed 148 people) and after the spate of air disasters in August this year. Many of the passengers who died at Sharm-el-Sheikh did not know they were going to be flying an Egyptian airline called Flash Air nor that this carrier had temporarily, in 2002, been subject to restrictions by Switzerland because of safety concerns.

Passengers have a right to be informed of the airline operating their flight regardless of where in the Community the service starts. Air travellers should be well informed prior to travel about their prospective flight, particularly if the actual carrier is not the one originally indicated at the time of reservation. This proposal takes us in that direction.

  Seán Ó Neachtain (UEN), in writing. I fully support the De Veyrac report calling for an EU-wide blacklist of air carriers which do not meet international aircraft safety standards. These carriers should be named and shamed under the principal of zero tolerance throughout the Community. At the end of the day all EU citizens want safe flights when travelling inside and outside the Community and we cannot compromise on this objective.

I also firmly believe that the information contained on the blacklist needs to be easily accessible and widely available to all stakeholders (national civil aviation authorities, all EU airports and of course passengers).

As a member of the transport committee I believe it is the role of the European Parliament, as co-legislator, to do everything possible to have such a list quickly established. I believe it is equally vital that the blacklist should also cover aircraft chartered from companies in non-EU countries and Member States should provide the European Commission with a list of carriers banned from their airspace.

Co-operation and co-ordination is the key. In this respect the role of the European Safety Agency needs to be increased in checking international standards and issuing certificates of approval. I reiterate the point that we cannot compromise in any respect the safety of our EU citizens.

  Frédérique Ries (ALDE), in writing. – (FR) I voted, of course, in favour of this proposal for legislation aimed at implementing a blacklist of unsafe airlines.

What is the spirit of this proposal? To enable passengers to choose their carrier with full knowledge as regards the safety conditions, and to be informed in the event of a last-minute change of carrier.

This task forms part of a broader strategy aimed at enhancing the safety of the booming air transport sector. In 2003, there were 1.7 billion air passengers worldwide, and it is predicted that there will be 2.5 billion in 2015. In Europe alone, the number of air passengers increased by an average 5.5% per year between 1990 and 2003.

This work must be done at European level, in collaboration with the Member States, in order to lay down common inspection criteria. There are still too many disparities, particularly in relation to the controls.

Without taking the place of sky marshals, the Commission must demonstrate ambition, draw attention to the worst performers, unearth any weaknesses and harmonise European legislation regarding air safety. This is a prerequisite in order for air transport to remain what it is: the safest mode of transport.

– Harms report (A6-0282/2005)

  Milan Gaľa (PPE-DE). – (SK) As a Slovak MEP and member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, I naturally voted in favour of the proposal to increase support for decommissioning the two reactors at the Jaslovské Bohunice nuclear power plant. The Slovak Government, whose representatives made the difficult decision on decommissioning in the accession negotiations, would have had some tough explaining to do if the vote in the European Parliament had turned out differently.

Left to its own devices, Slovakia would not be able to cope with a 19% drop in power generation, coupled with the high direct and indirect costs resulting from output reduction at the Bohunice plant. I would therefore like to thank all of my colleagues in the European Parliament, who saw that the Slovak problem was a European problem, and who voted to provide financial assistance for the decommissioning of the Bohunice installation.

  Árpád Duka-Zólyomi (PPE-DE). – (SK) I am pleased with the result of the vote on financial support for the decommissioning of the Bohunice V1 plant. The reason for this is as follows: In the 1990s, the Bohunice V1 installation underwent full-scale reconstruction under the watchful eye of an international agency, at a cost of nearly EUR 300 million. The plant is therefore clearly being decommissioned before time, as it is now capable of safely producing electricity at least until 2015. The 1999 decision was political, dictated not by good sense but by biased reasoning. The direct costs will amount to more than EUR 1.3 billion.

Fortunately, the plenary session at least agreed on a contribution of 400 million, but this represents only one-third of the amount needed. Overall costs will be as high as EUR 5 billion, including critical elements such as the safe storage of radioactive waste, substantial losses in electricity generation, and so on.

Nuclear power plants produce around 57% of the electricity in Slovakia. The decommissioning of the V1 plant will result in a shortfall of about seven terawatt-hours of electricity per year. This is the equivalent of unscrewing every second light bulb in the country. I thank everybody for their support.

  Andreas Mölzer (NI). – (DE) Mr President, record oil and petrol prices are now making us aware, in a very uncomfortable way, of the likelihood of a new energy crisis. Worldwide energy consumption has virtually trebled since 1960, and, while the USA leads the field in this respect with its consumption of a quarter of the world’s energy, the real cause is the ongoing modernisation of former developing countries and newly industrialising economies.

It is still the case that 80% of the world’s energy output is derived from fossil sources such as oil, gas and coal, the extraction of which is becoming more and more laborious and hence more and more expensive, and the use of which is detrimental to our environment. When we are as far off track as we are, the renewed demand for nuclear power amounts to choosing plague rather than cholera.

Nuclear fission does, admittedly, have the advantage of not discharging carbon dioxide, and of not, therefore, contributing to global warming, but, until such time as the besetting problems of reactor security and the final storage of nuclear waste are resolved, new nuclear power stations should not be built, nor should the life of existing ones be extended. If we are to cope with demand and further improve the efficiency with which we use energy and existing technologies, our only option is to further develop the renewable energy sector, which offers the only plausible long-term alternative.

  Jan Andersson, Anna Hedh, Ewa Hedkvist Petersen, Inger Segelström and Åsa Westlund (PSE), in writing. (SV) We chose to vote against Amendments 5 and 12 concerning an increase in the amount allocated for decommissioning the Bohunice V1 nuclear power plant, since we believe that the budgetary framework for 2007 to 2013 should not be exceeded. Naturally, nuclear power plants must be decommissioned in the light of environmental and security considerations.

  David Martin,(PSE), in writing. The purpose of the proposed regulation is to provide finances for the decommissioning of the Bohunice VI nuclear power plant in Slovakia. Slovakia has committed to the closure of Units 1 and 2 of the plant by 31 December 2006 and 31 December 2008 respectively.

The decommissioning process of the plant is an expensive one as it will last beyond 2006 and after the next financial perspective 2007-2013. In light of this, the EU has agreed to extend pre-accession aid by providing financial support for decommissioning up until 2006. Subsequently, an amendment was adopted to raise the budget from EURO 237 million to EURO 400 million.

Despite being largely in favour of raising the budget, I believe the new amount of EUR 400 million proposed by the amendment to be excessive and I welcome the alternative of seeking non-EU funding in order to raise the amount of money necessary for decommissioning to take place.

  Luís Queiró (PPE-DE), in writing. (PT) The nuclear option, which I feel is justified in certain circumstances, is only workable if accompanied by a stringent safety policy governing its use. When safety becomes an issue, these plants must be closed down and decommissioned. In this particular situation, however, I do not believe that the case has been made for releasing far greater financial resources than those proposed by the rapporteur. I therefore opted to abstain from the vote on the proposal before us.

– Motion for a resolution Β6-0584/2005

  Hélène Goudin, Nils Lundgren and Lars Wohlin (IND/DEM), in writing. (SV) We support the EU’s Nordic cooperation, known as the Northern Dimension, but believe that the cooperation should be basically intergovernmental, strictly limited and focused on practical results. Among the issues to which priority should be given are the environment, safety where nuclear power is concerned and the fight against international crime.

We support the proposal according to which the EU should develop its cooperation with regional organisations, including the Nordic Council. Nordic cooperation can operate as a model for the EU, because it shows how freedom of movement can be promoted and encouraged without a comprehensive supranational bureaucracy. In the light of the above, we choose to vote in favour of the report.

  Luís Queiró (PPE-DE), in writing. (PT) The geography of ‘our Europe’ – the European Community – changed dramatically in May of last year. These changes are widely acknowledged to have been a great success, but, having changed its neighbours from one day to the next, with all that that entails for a number of policy areas, the EU faces fresh challenges.

The EU already has extensive experience of regional policies adapted to specific geographical characteristics, albeit not always with the desired success. I welcome the guidelines put forward in this resolution, as they represent a positive step towards effective political action of this nature. To my mind, policy should not simply be applied with a broad brush, but should be adapted to different situations and specific characteristics.

  Alyn Smith (Verts/ALE), in writing. I was pleased that this joint motion for resolution gained a sufficiently broad support across the Chamber as this is a particularly important policy area. My own country, Scotland, as a Northern European country should be playing a more active role in this policy, though sadly even with our own Scottish Parliament we have yet to make our voice heard in this topic, so far.

  Bogusław Sonik (PPE-DE), in writing.  (PL) Ladies and gentlemen, on 1 May 2004 the European Union’s border moved eastward and northward. This has entailed a great many new challenges, which is why actions and projects like the Northern Dimension of the European Union are crucial in this context. The aim of multilateral regional cooperation between the EU Member States in the Baltic region is to create conditions that are conducive to social and economic development and to political stability in this region. The European Union now has an internal sea for the first time in its history.

I should like to take this opportunity to draw the House’s attention to the particular political significance of this initiative. After all, the Northern Dimension countries are located at the point where the European Union meets the East, by which I mean that they share borders with such key partners as Russia and Belarus. The region could therefore play a crucial role in implementing a project of special value, namely close and multifaceted cooperation between the EU and Russia.

The Northern Dimension will have a favourable impact on economic cooperation and infrastructure building, and the stepping up of cooperation in the field of home affairs and justice is likely to increase security where cross-border issues are concerned.

Attention should also be paid to the environmental benefits to be gained from the Northern Dimension, which covers a valuable and sensitive ecosystem. In view of this fact, cooperation should therefore be promoted in the spheres of environmental protection and sustainable development.

The Baltic or North European gas pipeline project has been the source of much controversy, and it remains a key issue to be resolved. None of the governments of the Baltic Sea countries were consulted in any way on the decision to construct this pipeline, and this decision poses a major threat to the energy security of many countries. We must not allow weaker countries to be discriminated against, and we must not allow actions to be taken that damage their interests. If we fail to do so, the Northern Dimension will remain pure theory and bear no relation to reality. The Baltic gas pipeline project also represents a huge threat to the environment in the Baltic Sea region.

– Motion for a resolution Β6-0583/2005

  Luís Queiró (PPE-DE), in writing. (PT) The benefits of the EU are sometimes at the root of its troubles. This is certainly true of technological challenges, regarding which the sheer size of a Union of 25 Member States naturally makes it difficult to reach agreement. When it comes to technological development and to adopting new technologies, it is crucial that we think quickly and take action decisively.

These considerations come into play as regards the significant technological change that the switchover to digital represents. I welcome the guidelines contained in the Common Resolution, although I feel priority should be given to ensuring that the market in this field can function freely. Supporting technological development must not mean jeopardising the natural freedom required by markets in general, and by this market in particular.

  Catherine Stihler (PSE), in writing. Although I support this report, there needs to be parity when such a switchover takes place. Citizens need to be informed and prepared.

– Harms report (A6-0279/2005)

  Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL), in writing. (PT) The way we voted on this report took account of the Czech perspective on these proposals, in light of the pressure that they were under to decommission the nuclear power plants.

Adequate financial resources have therefore been made available to cover all of the costs of decommissioning and the final processing and storage of the radioactive waste.

There are currently 14 Member States with nuclear plants, which corresponds to 149 reactors, and the working reactors are on average more than 20 years old.

In the new accession countries faced with these decommissioning requirements, as in the case before us, we feel it is right that they should receive the support they need to carry this out in the proper manner, from the point of view of human and environmental safety.

  Ian Hudghton (Verts/ALE), in writing. This report is a step in the right direction towards improving financial and technical aspects of decommissioning nuclear power plants.

As we know from experience at Dounreay in Scotland, there is considerable improvement required in the handling of this dangerous, but necessary, process.

Safety must be the number one priority, and the unsatisfactory state of preparations for decommissioning in most EU member states justifies the view that no new nuclear power plans should be built.

  David Martin (PSE), in writing. I voted for this report. Decommissioning is an important issues as there are some 50-60 nuclear power plants in the EU that will be decommissioned by 2025. It goes without saying that nuclear power plants need to be shut down safely to protect people and the environment. A lack of finance for this process could cause delay and potential safety risks. All nuclear undertakings should have sufficient funds for decommissioning. The Commission is anxious to come up with a common framework, and in the longer term, to harmonise the methods by which decommissioning is financed in the EU. This report makes a contribution to that goal.

  Tobias Pflüger (GUE/NGL), in writing. (DE) No more must the EU promote nuclear power, as the Euratom Treaty specifies that it must. When the EU, exceptionally, calls for the decommissioning of nuclear power station in order to protect human life and the environment, as it did in the case of the Slovak Bohunice V1 reactor, such demands are deserving of support, even if the distinction drawn by the Commission between the ‘good’ reactors in the West and the ‘dangerous’ ones in Eastern Europe is an untenable one.

The initially high level of support is appropriate to a purposeful start to the decommissioning process, as the Slovak Republic has accumulated funds amounting to only EUR 320 million. The support is in line with undertakings given at the time of Slovakia’s accession to the EU.

Were it not for support from the EU, there would be cause for concern that the reactors at Bohunice V1 would continue in operation, which would entail serious security risks. Without EU funding, it might well also not be possible to ensure that decommissioning measures would be taken promptly in order to protect human life and the environment.

The use of EU funds should, however, be limited to the decommissioning of the Bohunice V1 reactors and to the measures accompanying it. An addition should be made to this effect to Article 2 of the Commission proposal, which should also specify the EU’s priorities for the use of such funds, including, inter alia, the maintenance of safety standards in the course of decommissioning and the achievement of the climate change goals through the promotion of renewable energies.

  Luís Queiró (PPE-DE), in writing. (PT) I voted in favour of the report on the use of financial resources earmarked for the decommissioning of nuclear power plants.

I welcome the principles put forward in the report, not only because I feel that all possible safety measures should be taken when it comes to nuclear power, but also because, to my mind, adequate financial resources must be made available to cover such measures during the useful lifetime of these plants.

I believe that the conditions for using the financial resources for decommissioning set out in this report are both responsible and effective, among which I wish to highlight the setting up of a decommissioning fund that will take account of the management of funds generated by energy production.

I would note that it is crucial, whenever we talk about nuclear matters, to provide for the necessary environmental safety and protection measures throughout the useful lifetime of a nuclear power plant. In this context, the proposed measures aimed at the safe, effective and environmentally-friendly decommissioning of such plants should be included.

  Alyn Smith (Verts/ALE), in writing. I was pleased to back my group colleagues in supporting this important report as it underlines concerns about the long term viability of the nuclear industry when it comes to decommissioning. With so many alternative technologies available, I believe that we must invest in renewables, which will leave no ecological legacy.

– Wijkman report (A6-0312/2005)

  Richard Seeber (PPE-DE). – (DE) Mr President, I would like to make a statement of vote in respect of the Wijkman report, which, in essence, I very much welcome. It is unfortunate that the adoption of Mr Vidal-Quadras Roca’s amendment means that the derogation for nuclear energy is now deleted. That I regard as false, since I do not regard nuclear energy as a realistic alternative for the future and believe that the risks associated with it are not yet manageable. It is for that reason that I, along with my colleagues as a whole, have voted against the report. We have nothing against it as such, but it could have been more clear in coming to the conclusion that nuclear energy is no alternative.

  Luca Romagnoli (NI). – (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am afraid that Mr Wijkman’s report – and I hope he will not hold this against me – is wrong, starting with its very title. Human beings have never won the battle against climate change and never will, because their influence on it is limited and not yet scientifically demonstrated.

In my view, the most that can be endorsed are the hopes for a cut in harmful and potentially climate-altering emissions, but there is a great difference between that and approving a document of doubtful scientific value, which is even presumptuous in its aims. One need only look at items 2 and 3 after recital M, which propose limiting the average temperature increase of the planet to two degrees above pre-industrial levels, even though there are no reliable records or data for that time.

Furthermore, I do not agree with the statements that the European Union should commit itself to giving financial aid to China, India, Brazil and South Africa so that these countries can develop sustainable energy strategies. It would be better, instead, to impose sanctions and trade restrictions on industrialised countries, including the United States, and the developing countries I have just mentioned if their industries continued to harm the environment or, more generally, if they showed very little social consideration. Therefore, in view of everything I have just said, I voted against the report.

  Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL), in writing. (PT) Ahead of the forthcoming Conference of Parties in Montreal between 28 November and 9 December, Parliament is emphasising the need to give the highest priority to talks on emission reduction commitments for the period after 2012 arising from the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which entered into force on 16 February 2005, having been ratified by 152 countries and regional organisations.

It would appear that the targets that have been set are rather too ambitious, given that little is known regarding the actual consequences of human interference in climate change, which is even more problematic while the USA remains outside the Kyoto Protocol.

We do welcome all of the measures intended to reduce the amount of energy consumption and waste, to achieve greater energy efficiency, to develop a new, more environmentally-friendly transport policy, and to promote rail transport, along with public transport as a whole.

On the other hand, we take a diametrically opposed view on the issue of emissions trading, given that, by all accounts, it solves nothing and only serves to exacerbate environmental inequalities and imbalances. The wealthiest countries will be able to go on polluting by buying emissions rights from others, and that is unacceptable.

Hence our abstention.

  Hélène Goudin, Nils Lundgren and Lars Wohlin (IND/DEM), in writing. (SV) Global climate change constitutes a significant problem, which we believe there are good reasons for dealing with at an international level. The Wijkman report has a lot going for it. However, the June List restates its position that the European Parliament should not take over the Member States’ foreign policies by calling on third countries that have not yet ratified the Kyoto Protocol to do so.

It is also regrettable that the report calls on the Member States to deal with a number of matters that should be handled at national level. For example, it includes proposals for EU-wide speed limits, traffic charges and tax incentives and for the development of rail transport and public transport in general. We are also critical of EU initiatives to make people aware of the ways in which unrestrained consumption and production affect the climate. This is a dimension that can, of course, be dealt with at national level.

We have chosen to vote against the report as a whole, but have supported individual amendments in order, in our view, to improve the report.

  Françoise Grossetête (PPE-DE), in writing. – (FR) I abstained from voting on this text. As I made clear in my speech in today’s plenary session, this is a matter of urgency. We must act immediately in order to respond to this threat of climate change, which is undoubtedly one of the most serious threats in the history of humankind.

I support the actions recommended in this report – while rejecting the idea of ecotaxes – and the political resoluteness displayed.

I abstained to show my strong dissatisfaction regarding an amendment that challenges the existence of the Strasbourg Parliament.

It is unacceptable to use such an important text to include issues in it that bear no relation to the subject dealt with.

  Anna Hedh, Ewa Hedkvist Petersen, Inger Segelström and Åsa Westlund (PSE), in writing. (SV) We are in favour of a minimum level of carbon dioxide tax within the EU. We believe, however, that any decision to levy such a tax must have the Council’s unanimous backing and not just that of a majority. In the future too, taxes must be deducted on a national basis and not by the EU.

  Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE), in writing. (PT) Mr Wijkman’s excellent report puts forward a number of measures to help solve the problem of climate change around the world.

The Conference of Parties is due to take place in Montreal, where it is hoped that European leaders will submit proposals for future arrangements on climate change. These arrangements must be based on shared, but different responsibilities aimed at the continued reduction of emissions and the participation of more countries in these efforts.

More ambitious targets also need to be set. The March 2005 European Council stressed the need for developed countries to reduce emissions by 15 to 30% by 2020. The rapporteur is proposing that longer-term targets be set to reduce emissions by 60 to 80% by 2050.

Lastly, a strategy must be developed to turn Europe into the most energy-efficient economy in the world. Incentives must be introduced for increased use of ‘clean’ technologies, and research and innovation to support sustainable energy and the sustainable management of soil use should be promoted at European level.

  David Martin, (PSE), in writing. I welcomed the report outlining the need to fight the climate change battle. Once a certain level of Green-house gas concentration has passed in the atmosphere, the whole system will undergo drastic changes. Disasters such as annual material damages due to extreme weather conditions resulting in millions of people left homeless will occur. Developing countries are likely to be the ones who suffer the most. The EU has reduced its emissions by 3% below the 1990 level but more has to be done to reach the 8% target agreed in the Kyoto Protocol.

Although I agree that the EU needs to reduce its emissions to reach the target agreed in the Kyoto agreement, I find the report to be extremely optimistic considering the inclusion of more policy areas and the time limit and would like to see a greater sense of urgency.

  Jean-Claude Martinez (NI), in writing. – (FR) The climate is changing. Rock paintings illustrate mammals in the Sahara and ibex at Lascaux. Well, as these animals have disappeared from these regions, this is indeed proof that the climate has changed. What is more, if this change is taking place, it is undoubtedly because of human beings.

The fact that the earth’s axis is tilting relative to the ecliptic plane, which changes over a period of 10 000 years for example, and that, as Milankovitch demonstrated, this has an influence on the climate, matters little. The fact that the great phenomenon of oceanic respiration, with vast rivers plunging in the North Atlantic only to resurface in the Pacific, has an influence on the climate, matters even less here.

Fear requires explanations, great and reassuring mythologies, cosmogonies, Good and Evil, and punishments. We are therefore punished for our ingenuity, punished for our progress and punished for our inventions and our creations. Man as Prometheus, who stole fire, must today receive his punishment in the shape of melting ice fields, rising sea levels, heatwaves and a lack of oxygen. Just as, in the past, there were the plagues of Egypt.

All of that would be fine if this post-Medieval confusion were to lead to a change in the economic and social climate that causes the – very real – decline from which we suffer.

  Luís Queiró (PPE-DE), in writing. (PT) It is only natural that environmental issues, and climate change in particular, should be uppermost among our concerns.

I support many of the guidelines on environmental policy that Europe has been pursuing, reflected in both the report and the Commission communication. I believe, however, that there are two points that we must bear in mind. Firstly, environmental issues are obviously not at the forefront of the concerns of developing countries, and indeed they are not alone in that respect. Secondly, developed societies are not prepared to accept a lower standard of living, and nor should this be our policy or our blueprint. This is precisely why research and development needs to be our major priority, given that the aim should be to manage resources, thereby ensuring a better and more sustainable quality of life.