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Deposited Paper DEP 07/2070

Deposited by

Department for Transport

Type

Deposited papers

Date

8 October 2007

Reference

DEP 07/2070

House

House of Lords; House of Commons

Deposited Paper DEP 07/2068

Deposited by

Department for Transport

Type

Deposited papers

Date

28 September 2007

Reference

DEP 07/2068

House

House of Lords; House of Commons

Deposited Paper DEP 05/1190

Deposited by

Department for Transport

Type

Deposited papers

Date

4 October 2005

Reference

DEP 05/1190

House

House of Lords; House of Commons

Macdonald of Tradeston, Lord

Lords statement on what was the outcome of the EU Transport Council on 5-6 December. [HL 809].

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

19 December 2002

Reference

HL 809; 642 c144-6WA

House

House of Lords

Dept for Transport

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the outcome was of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 5th December; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. - Including figures.

Asked by

Jim Hood (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Transport

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

12 December 2002

For answer on

18 December 2002

Answered on

18 December 2002

Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the outcome was of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 5 December; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. [87253] Mr. Jamieson: The transport segment of the Transport, Energy and Telecommunications Council was held in Brussels on 5-6 December, my right hon. Friend Minister of State for Transport attended on the first day, and I attended on the second day, when the Prestige incident was discussed. The Council came to an agreement on the Single European Sky package. The aim of the four regulations making up the package is to improve the efficiency of air traffic management across the EU, thereby reducing air traffic delays. The United Kingdom has been a strong supporter of this package from the outset and I am very pleased to be able to report the successful outcome. Civil/military co-operation is an important aspect of air traffic management, and the member states made a declaration agreeing to co-operate on military aspects. The Commission presented its recent Communication on the consequences for European aviation policy of the recent ECJ rulings on aviation agreements. The Commission called for rapid progress on concluding an EU-US aviation agreement, the Commissioner having written to Ministers, asking them to denounce their existing agreements with the US, which, following the ECJ rulings, the Commission believed were no longer valid. There was general agreement that member states and the Commission needed to discuss the consequences of the ruling urgently, including the question of a Commission mandate for negotiations with the US. COREPER was asked to work on proposals to be put to the Council. The Council agreed on a Regulation providing for new levels of compensation to air passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation and delay. A majority of Ministers accepted three levels of compensation: 250 euros for all flights of 1,500 km or less, 400 euros for intra-EU flights of more than 1,500 km and other flights between 1,500-3,500 km, and 600 euros for all other flights. These compensation levels will be reviewed four years after the Regulation comes into effect. The UK voted against the Regulation because in the absence of a link to the ticket price it could damage the interests of consumers of "no-frills" air services. During the debate, the Minister of State had voiced concern at the impact on the services of no-frills carriers, pointing out that the minimum compensation level was almost four times the average cost of a no-frills ticket. Following a suggestion from some member states that the scope of the Regulation be extended to certain passengers returning to the EU from non-Community airports, it was agreed that the Commission would publish a report on this issue. Conclusions were agreed setting out the basis for the continuation of the Galileo satellite navigation project, including the tendering procedure, and addressing the importance of relations with third countries. A final decision on whether to include a Public Regulated Service (PRS) in the project is to be taken before the end- of 2003. The UK and the Netherlands entered a Minutes Statement stressing that they could not accept any PRS that would overlay the US GPS M-Code. The Council debated the second package of rail measures. The presidency noted the progress that had been made on this package of five proposals, designed to progress the development of more harmonised technical standards for interoperability, harmonise safety regulation processes, to open up access to the market for all rail freight services, and to establish a European Rail Agency. In discussion of the main outstanding issues on the safety and interoperability proposals there was a consensus for member states to be able to maintain safety levels above any harmonised minimum standard, and general support for extending the scope of the interoperability requirements. The presidency concluded that work should continue on the package. Greece made clear that it hoped to reach agreement during its presidency. There was a debate on action to be taken following the Prestige accident. I, in common with other Ministers and the Commission, generally welcomed the presidency's approach in the Conclusions put to the Council. I joined others in arguing for better quality port state control inspections, and expressed the UK view that in general there should be co-ordinated EU actions leading to improvements in the international regulatory framework. The Conclusions reaffirmed the support of member states for the establishment of a supplementary compensation fund, developed in the IMO, to the benefit of the victims of oil pollution. This would enhance the existing international fund. The UK's concern was that the EU should not commit itself at this stage to its own fund in the event of failure of negotiations in the IMO, for fear of prejudicing those negotiations, and we secured an amendment to this effect. The Conclusions also include commitments to a faster phasing out of single-hulled tankers and restrictions on those carrying very heavy oil. There is to be an analysis of available double-hull tanker capacity. Also included are: better implementation of port state control obligations, and possible measures by member states to prohibit within 200 miles of their coasts traffic carrying dangerous and polluting goods. The Council agreed on a Regulation establishing the Marco Polo programme to grant community financial aid to projects designed to achieve the shift of freight transport from road to other modes. The programme will have a total budget of 75 million euros. Political agreement was reached on a Regulation to prohibit the use of environmentally damaging anti- fouling paints on ships, in accordance with the latest IMO agreements. Conclusions were agreed on the integration of environment and sustainable development into transport policy, a continuation of the process begun at the Cardiff European Council in 1998. The Council debated the issue of Alpine transit and the ecopoint system for transit through Austria. Agreement could not be reached, and the presidency submitted the dossier to the General Affairs and External Relations Council. During the Council, Ministers signed the Agreement on Maritime Transport between the European Community and its member states, and the People's Republic of China.

Date

18 December 2002

Reference

87253; 396 c812-4W;396 c810-2W

House

House of Commons

Office of the Secretary of State for Wales

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, How often has (a) he and (b) his Under Secretary attended meetings of the (i) Agriculture, (ii) Justice and Home Affairs, (iii) Environment and (iv) Transport Councils of Ministers in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001; and if he will make a statement....

Asked by

Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru)

Answering body

Office of the Secretary of State for Wales

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

30 October 2002

Reference

76081; 391 c872W;391 c867W

House

House of Commons

Macdonald of Tradeston, Lord

Lords Statement on What was the outcome of the EU Transport Council held on 17 June. [HL 4890].

Asked by

Lord Dubs (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

21 June 2002

Reference

HL 4890; 636 c113-6WA

House

House of Lords

Dept for Transport

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the outcome was of the Transport Council meeting on 17th June; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. - Inc figures.

Asked by

Jim Hood (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Transport

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

17 June 2002

For answer on

21 June 2002

Answered on

21 June 2002

Mr. Hood: :To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the outcome was of the Transport Council meeting on 17 June; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. [63142] Mr. Spellar: :The Transport Council was held on 17 June in Luxembourg. I represented the UK. I was pleased to see the adoption by the Council of two directives on passenger vessel safety. The first of these requires compliance by 2015 by all Member States with the higher standards of damage stability for ro-ro passenger ships engaged on international voyages already introduced following the Estonia disaster by eight EU countries, including the UK (the "Stockholm Agreement"). These requirements are complementary to the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) standard, aimed at increasing the survivability of damaged ro-ro vessels. The very large majority of UK ro-ro ferries have already been altered to comply with the Stockholm standard and those few remaining will be altered as necessary before the deadline of September 2002. The second directive on safety of passenger ships makes a number of technical amendments to the existing Directive 98/18. I would particularly draw attention to provisions bringing into Community law the IMO rules and standards on High Speed Craft and placing a duty on Member States to encourage owners to improve accessibility to their ships for people with limited mobility. The Council reached agreement on a Directive to open the market for the provision of services, including cargo handling and pilotage, in large and medium-sized ports. For service contracts, there will be maximum durations of 10, 15 and 36 years (plus a possible further 10 years), respectively, for services with no significant investment, services with significant investment in movable assets, and services with significant investment in immovable assets. In addition, I argued successfully for a 40 year period for new ports in the future. The agreed text includes a number of other significant changes, which meet many of the concerns we have had on the Commission's original proposals including protecting working conditions for port workers. The Commission said it would come forward with guidelines as soon as possible to address the important issue of competition between ports. The Council did not reach agreement on a Regulation establishing a programme (the Marco Polo programme) to succeed the PACT programme for the promotion of combined transport. The Marco Polo programme would offer Community financial support for modal shift projects, with a budget of è 85 million and various thresholds for different types of eligible project. I joined other Member States in arguing that there should be a reduced budget. The Commission reported on the need for further action in Europe in the field of maritime security. This would be principally within the framework of the IMO. The Council was unable to agree Conclusions on the Commission's transport White Paper of September 2001, which proposes a range of measures to address significant issues such as congestion, safety and the environmental impact of transport. During the debate I was one of a number of Ministers to reject any reference in the Conclusions to tax harmonisation. I also referred to the need to update the existing Eurovignette Directive, to allow Member States to proceed with implementing distance-based charging schemes. Following the debate, the Presidency issued Conclusions. The Council did not agree a common position on amendment of the Trans European Network Guidelines. Discussion centred principally on the new list of priority projects. More work will be done on this in preparation for consideration by Ministers during the Danish Presidency. The Commission presented a proposal for Community accession to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the IMO. It will be seeking a mandate from the Council to negotiate with these organisations. The Council reached agreement on a decision agreeing Community accession to the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol), the pan-European body coordinating air traffic management. The agreement is subject to Parliamentary scrutiny reservations being lifted. There were Presidency Conclusions noting the large degree of support among Member States for the Single European Sky and the agreement of Member States to make progress by 2004 in line with the Conclusions of the Barcelona European Council. The Conclusions also noted the importance of Eurocontrol in the process. The Council unanimously adopted a common position on a Directive on occurrence reporting in civil aviation, establishing a common framework for dealing with safety-related incidents. There was agreement on a draft Regulation requiring Member States to provide aviation statistical returns. The Commission presented a proposal on subsidy and unfair pricing by third country airlines, noting that some third countries had offered substantial financial support to their airlines, which had an impact on Community carriers. The Presidency reported on discussions over lunch about aviation war-risk insurance. The Council believed that State intervention should be limited, to avoid market restriction, but that possible mutualisation schemes should be examined. The Council reached agreement on a Directive tightening existing Community legislation on seat belt wearing. A compromise was reached on an exemption for school buses, which will last for five years. We have some concern at the lack of respect for subsidiarity in this proposal and this was made clear to the Council. In our view, it is appropriate to have a broad framework at EU level, leaving details of implementation to Member States. The Council did not reach agreement on a regulation on ecopoints for the transit of HGVs through Austria. This would have allowed extension of the ecopoint system beyond the current expiry date of 31 December 2003, but not beyond 2006, pending the forthcoming adoption of legislation on EU-wide infrastructure charging. The Commission concluded that in 2004 the Ecopoint system would finish. The Presidency hoped that imminent high level discussions among key Member States would lead to a solution of the problem of Alpine transit. No formal votes were taken at this Council.

Date

21 June 2002

Reference

387 c577-80W; 63142

House

House of Commons

Dept for Transport Local Government and the Regions

Statement on what the outcome was of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 6th and 7th December; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Jim Hood (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

6 December 2001

For answer on

12 December 2001

Answered on

12 December 2001

Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the outcome was of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 6 and 7 December; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including their voting record; and if he will make a statement. [22183] Mr. Spellar: The Transport Council met in Brussels on 7 December. I represented the United Kingdom. The main focus of the Council was on the Galileo satellite navigation project and on aviation security. I am pleased to say that on both issues the outcome was satisfactory from our point of view. On Galileo, Ministers were asked to agree to the release of funding from the Trans-European Networks (TENs) budget to enable the project to proceed to its next phase, and to agree on the management structure that the project would have. I was among Ministers to press for deferral of decisions on the project. I drew attention to the concerns which the recently issued PricewaterhouseCoopers report had raised, on public sector funding, overall cost and lack of commercial benefits. The report made clear that any decision on the joint undertaking would have funding implications, so I argued that a decision on this should not be taken while funding issues were not sufficiently clear. There was also some discussion of the details of the draft Regulation to establish the joint undertaking, but a majority of member states declined the Commission's request for a vote to agree the text. Decisions on the next phase of Galileo were deferred and no formal conclusions were agreed. The Presidency indicated that the Galileo project might be discussed further at the European Council at Laeken later this month. The Council reached political agreement on a regulation establishing a Community framework for airport security standards and monitoring. The Commission had initially insisted on arrangements to oversee member states who were operating more stringent security measures. But in response to concerns which I and others expressed about the need for freedom to respond to perceived security threats it accepted that member states should be free to apply additional measures, provided they were in accordance with Community law. This important measure should ensure that high standards are in place throughout the EU and create a safer environment for air passengers using EU airports. There was discussion of a draft directive on occurrence reporting in civil aviation, on the transposition of JAR-OPS standards into EC law, and on a draft directive on the training of aviation cabin crew. No decisions were reached on the first two issues, and the Presidency concluded that no progress was possible on the third. The UK view is that provision for cabin crew training should be included in the JAR-OPS legislation. The Council noted the difficult economic situation faced by the air transport sector. On war-risk insurance, member states wished to return to a market approach, but the industry was not ready for that yet. In the interim the Commission was prepared to continue to approve state aid measures up to end March 2002, subject to monthly reviews. Ministers also noted the need to consider urgently ways to address possible unfair competition from third country carriers; the Commission will present a proposal in the near future. The Council noted the importance of making early progress on the recent proposal for a Directive to replace the hushkits regulation. The Council reached political agreement on the regulation to establish a European Maritime Safety Agency, which was proposed as part of the ERIKA II package of maritime safety proposals. We are content with the text as agreed. The Council agreed the text of a Directive to simplify reporting formalities for ships leaving and entering Community ports. It was able to accept the European Parliament's position on the proposal, and therefore reached agreement at the First Reading. I and the French Minister, with support from the Commissioner, stressed the need for member states to make quick progress on ratifying the Hazardous and Noxious Substances convention and other maritime pollution compensation Conventions, as the December 2000 Council Conclusions had urged. The Council noted a Presidency progress report on the proposal to update Regulation 3820/85 on commercial drivers' hours and rest periods. Further consideration of this will pass to the Spanish Presidency. I maintained the UK's opposition to the proposal to extend the fitting of speed limiting devices to goods vehicles above 3.5 tonnes and to coaches/buses with over eight passenger seats regardless of weight. I argued that we were not in favour of a threshold below 7.5 tonnes, but that an extension of European regulation to 7.5 tonnes would be in line with UK law. I expressed my doubt that the safety and environmental consequences of fitting limiters to lighter vehicles would be beneficial. The Presidency concluded that Council adopted the proposal by qualified majority. The proposal will now be considered by the European Parliament early in the new year. The Council reached political agreement on a draft directive setting out initial and ongoing training requirements for professional drivers. Following the recent fires in Alpine road tunnels, the Commission reported to the Council that it would propose legislation early in 2002 to improve safety. The proposals will address issues relating to technical equipment, driver information, traffic controls and training of operational staff. We await further details of the proposals, and will need to examine them carefully. The Presidency presented its conclusions on the Commission's White Paper on transport policy, published earlier this year. The Presidency largely agreed with the White Paper's assessment of the negative impact of uneven development of different transport modes, and believed that modal shift and enhancement of quality should be promoted. It hoped the Council would further examine the White Paper and looked forward to Commission proposals to implement the priorities emerging from further discussion. Under Other Business, I raised the issue of the new digital tachograph and the deficiencies in the Regulation on which the specification is based. I had previously written to the Commissioner asking her to propose amendments to address these shortcomings, which would create serious enforcement difficulties. Other Ministers at the Council supported me in asking the Commission to re-examine the issue and bring forward a new proposal to amend the Regulation. I expressed my disappointment at the Commission's response, which did not address the concerns we had put forward. Finally, the German Minister spoke of the safety benefits of ensuring that rigid bull bars were not fixed to road vehicles above 2.5 tonnes, through voluntary agreements with industry. The Commission agreed that this was a useful suggestion, but stressed that it was the responsibility of the Internal Market Commissioner. No votes were taken at this Council.

Date

12 December 2001

Reference

376 c875-7W; 22183

House

House of Commons

Falconer of Thoroton, Lord

Lords Statement on what was the outcome of the Transport Council held on 7 December. [HL 1978].

Asked by

Lord Gregson (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

12 December 2001

Reference

HL 1978; 629 c221-4WA

House

House of Lords

Falconer of Thoroton, Lord

Lords Statement on what the outcome of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 16 October; and what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record. [HL 881].

Asked by

Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

22 October 2001

Reference

627 c109-111WA; HL 881

House

House of Lords

Macdonald of Tradeston, Lord

What was the outcome of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 20 and 21 December 2000. [HL 310].

Asked by

Lord Clinton-Davis (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

15 January 2001

Reference

HL 310; 620 c116-8WA

House

House of Lords

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Statement on the outcome of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 20th and 21st December; and if he will make a statement. - Inc figure and ref to "The Creation of a Single European Sky".

Asked by

Jim Hood (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

20 December 2000

For answer on

15 January 2001

Answered on

15 January 2001

Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the outcome was of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 20 and 21 December; and if he will make a statement. [144177] Mr. Hill: My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Transport, Lord Macdonald of Tradeston, represented the United Kingdom at the Council. The Council unanimously adopted Conclusions welcoming the Commission's proposals for a new European Aviation Safety Agency. The Commission welcomed the progress made and hoped that a Common Position would be reached by June 2001. The Council took note of a progress report on a Commission proposal for transposing safety standards of the Joint Aviation Authorities into EC law. The Council also noted that a proposal for a directive creating generic training requirements for airline cabin crew was moving towards agreement. The Commission set out the main conclusions of the High Level Group set up following publication of the Commission Communication "The Creation of a Single European Sky," and chaired by the Commissioner. The conclusions focus on: creating an independent regulator; managing civil and military airspace in Europe collectively; promoting technical interoperability; and improving the training and recruitment of air traffic controllers. The Commission said it would present a Communication to the Stockholm European Council, and make legislative proposals soon after that. Member states all reacted positively. Most pointed to the need to fully involve central European countries in this work. Lord Macdonald stressed the need to separate the operation and regulation of air traffic management services. The Council discussed air passengers' rights. The Commission stressed the need for performance criteria for airlines. It hoped for new agreements with industry by the end of April. The Presidency noted that voluntary arrangements were preferable to legislation. The Commission gave a progress report on negotiations on air services agreements with the central and east European countries. The Presidency noted recent progress on the technical aspects of a Commission mandate for negotiating a Transatlantic Common Aviation Area with the US. The Commission presented its report on the definition phase of the Galileo satellite navigation project. During the debate, the UK joined other member states in recalling the Conclusions of the Cologne and Nice European Councils on the predominant role of private sector finance in the project. The Council did not reach agreement on how to proceed with the development and validation phase. The Commission will undertake further work on outstanding issues, and the project is likely to be discussed again by the Council in April. Proposals on maritime safety arising from the "Erika" disaster were further debated and common positions reached on two draft directives. The first of these enhances the supervision, and responsibilities and liabilities, of ship classification societies. The second improves the targeting and standards of port state control inspections, concentrating effort on those vessels which pose the greatest safety and/or pollution risks. The Commission gave a presentation on elements of the second package of post-"Erika" proposals: ship surveillance; increase in provision for oil pollution compensation payments; and a new European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). The UK underlined the need for the first two elements to be pursued internationally, in the context of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and supported the establishment of the EMSA, to the extent that it should provide for better quality technical support to the Commission. Council Conclusions were adopted reaffirming a maritime safety policy aimed at reducing the risk of accidents and the avoidance of loss of life and pollution of the marine environment. In particular the Conclusions undertook to continue negotiations with the IMO on acceleration of the introduction of double-hulled tankers, on the basis of an approach agreed by the Council in October, and, if an agreement on those terms is reached at the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee session in April 2001, to adopt a text bringing the IMO agreement immediately into Community law; emphasised the need for an adequate regime, global if possible, for compensation in the event of damage caused by oil pollution at sea; expressed the aim that Voyage Data Recorders (VDRs--"black boxes") should be compulsory within five years on all ships calling at EU ports, and that member states should continue their efforts in the IMO to secure an international agreement making mandatory the fitting of VDRs to all vessels. There was a debate on an amended proposal to harmonise employment standards between EU and third country crew members on intra-EU regular passenger ferry services. The UK, supported by other member states, emphasised the need to protect seafarers' employment conditions and maintain an appropriate maritime skills base. Political agreement was reached on a directive to improve the safety of bulk carriers, which is now subject to the scrutiny of the European Parliament. Agreement with the European Parliament having been reached on the package of measures for opening up international rail freight in the EU, the Council unanimously adopted the package. Political agreement was reached by qualified majority on a directive on working time in the road transport sector. Self-employed drivers will not be covered by the directive immediately, but their exclusion will be reviewed two years after transposition of the directive, with the aim of drawing up specific provisions. The UK is content with much of the agreed text, and was pleased to see revised definitions of working time and night work incorporated. However, as the final text did not include satisfactory provision on an individual opt-out, or a temporary derogation permitting a 65 hour maximum working week, the United Kingdom abstained from the Council's agreement. The Council agreed Conclusions on a proposal obliging international lorry drivers to carry an attestation showing that they were legally employed. The Conclusions stated that the draft regulation should apply only to third country drivers (subject to review), and that work should continue with a view to reaching agreement on the regulation at the Council in April. The Commission presented its proposals on weekend lorry bans, driver training, and the amendment to Regulation 3820/85 on drivers' hours. There was a debate on proposals on public service obligations in the field of passenger transport by road, rail and inland waterway, and on state aid granted for co-ordination of transport in those modes. The UK was among member states to speak in support of the proposals. The Presidency concluded that public services were of general interest and needed particular treatment to safeguard them, and that there was a general desire for progress. The Commission presented its Green Paper on security of energy supply. The Council adopted a directive continuing indefinitely the harmonised start and end dates for summertime in the EU (last Sunday of March and October respectively). There will be a review after five years.

Date

15 January 2001

Reference

361 c13-5W; 144177

House

House of Commons

Macdonald of Tradeston, Lord

Lords statement on the outcome of the EU Transport Council on 2 October. [HL 4113].

Asked by

Lord Dubs (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 October 2000

Reference

HL 4113; 617 c20-2WA

House

House of Lords

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what was the outcome of the Transport Council held in Luxembourg on the 26th to 27th June; and what plans there are to make EASA a European Community agency. - Ref to 5 July 2000, 353 c181-83W.

Asked by

Bernard Jenkin (Conservative)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

10 July 2000

Reference

353 c404W;353 c402W; 130000

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Statement on what the outcome was of the Transport Council held in Luxembourg on 26th and 27th June; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Jim Hood (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

27 June 2000

For answer on

5 July 2000

Answered on

5 July 2000

Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the outcome was of the Transport Council held in Luxembourg on 26 and 27 June; and if he will make a statement. [128333] Mr. Hill: The Transport Council met in Luxembourg on 26 June. I represented the United Kingdom. At the opening of the Council, the Netherlands made a statement expressing regret at the recent incident at Dover and stressed the need for EU action on traffic in human beings. I welcomed and endorsed the Dutch statement. The Council debated a draft directive on interoperability of the conventional rail network. The only outstanding issue was the UK and Spain's request that derogations to allow the retention of existing track or loading gauges would be automatic rather than requiring Commission approval. I am pleased to say that, following the debate, a revised text was agreed which allows the automatic derogation we had been seeking and enabled the Council to agree a common position. The Council debated proposals arising from the loss of the oil tanker "Erika" (the `Erika 1' package). These are revised directives on ship inspection organisations and on port state control of shipping; and a new regulation on accelerating the introduction of double hulls in oil tankers. The Council reached political agreement on the first of these, which would give the Commission responsibility for recognising member states' appointed ship inspection organisations. The Commission gave a progress report on the port state control proposal. There was a debate on double-hulled tankers, during which I noted the need for a proper economic and regulatory impact assessment. I agreed with the Commission and a number of member states that IMO action at global level would be preferable, but that otherwise EU legislation would be acceptable. These issues will be debated again at the October Council. The Council agreed conclusions, stating that further progress should be made towards the "Erika 2" package, foreseen at the Feira European Council. France stated that Erika 2 would be a priority of its Presidency. There was a further progress report from the Commission on the Galileo satellite navigation project. The Commission said it would submit a final report on the definition phase and an economic analysis in time for the December Council, at which a final decision would have to be made on whether to go ahead with the project. At the October Council, there would be an orientation debate on structure and funding. I joined other member states in stressing the need for full cost benefit analysis and for private sector funding to make the project viable. Conclusions were agreed, urging that the Council be provided with sufficient information early in the autumn to allow it to take a decision on Galileo's future. The Commission gave a further presentation of its Communication on air passenger rights, underlining the need for progress with legislation or voluntary action in various areas of passenger protection, including the setting of minimum contract requirements for ticket purchase. Further work will be done to prepare for a discussion at the October Council. The Commission gave its view of progress on work to create common EU structures for air traffic management (ATM). This might include the establishment of bodies to regulate European ATM. The Commission noted that separation of provision and regulation of ATM services was vital, to implement the conclusions of the European Councils at Lisbon and Feira. The Council agreed that the Commission proposals on cabin crew qualifications in civil aviation should be re-examined in the light of the recent proposal to transpose standards drawn up by the Joint Aviation Authorities into Community law. The Presidency presented a paper describing recent discussions on the establishment of a European aviation safety authority (EASA). The point at issue is whether the Commission should work up detailed proposals for an EU agency, rather than an international organisation. The Presidency presented a paper which analysed whether an EU agency could effectively promote air safety across Europe. I said that the UK was open to the idea of an EU agency, but that such an agency would have to have sufficient power to take safety decisions effectively, involve member states and national safety regulators fully in its work, and involve non-EU states as fully as possible. It should not initially cover safety of airports or air traffic management. The Council invited the Commission to make a formal proposal for an EU agency. The Council also discussed the Transatlantic Common Aviation Area (TCAA). The Commission is seeking a mandate allowing it to negotiate a TCAA agreement with the US on behalf of the EU. The UK has on previous occasions made clear that it gives priority to its bilateral negotiations with the US, which are continuing. Technical work on the likely shape of a Commission mandate has been taking place, and the UK has been participating in that. The Presidency concluded that the Council was satisfied with the technical work, and asked for further work to be done by COREPER, to allow a decision on the mandate to be taken in December. The Commission reported on developments in the area of aviation noise standards. They noted the good progress in defining new standards within the ICAO CAEP process. The Council agreed a wide-ranging Resolution on road safety, following the Commission Communication presented to the March Council. Among areas identified for legislative action are: further development of the European new vehicles crash testing programme (EuroNCAP), use of speed limiters on larger vehicles, higher levels of seatbelt and child restraint usage, safer car fronts, and targeting of accident blackspots. The Resolution also refers to the Commission's intention to bring forward a recommendation for member states to introduce a maximum blood alcohol level of 0.5 milligrams per millilitre. Two road transport issues were debated: a proposed Regulation on transit quotas ("ecopoints") for lorries passing through Austria; and a proposal on the allocation of Swiss transit permits for heavy lorries. The former concerns a proposal to reduce the ecopoint quotas of five member states, a legal requirement under the terms of Austria's Act of Accession. The member states affected (which do not include the UK) expressed their opposition to this measure and the Presidency instructed COREPER to re-examine the proposal. The Commission noted that unless an alternative proposal emerges, and is agreed upon, the Commission regulation will automatically come into effect on 20 September. The Commission also introduced its amended proposal for the distribution of permits for heavy goods vehicles travelling in Switzerland. The permit allocations for individual member states were in the process of being revised in the light of recently completed analyses of trade and traffic statistics in the Alpine region. The Presidency asked for further work to be done by COREPER to prepare for decision at the October Council. Under other business the Commission presented its new "Communication on safer and more competitive quality road transport in the Community", covering such issues as working and driving time for lorry drivers, conditions for employment of non-EU hauliers, and driver training. This will be a priority issue for debate during the French presidency.

Date

5 July 2000

Reference

128333; 353 c181-3W;353 c179-81W

House

House of Commons

Macdonald of Tradeston, Lord

What was the outcome of the Transport Council held in Luxembourg on 26 June. [HL 3206].

Asked by

Baroness Pitkeathley (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

5 July 2000

Reference

HL 3206; 614 c141-4WA

House

House of Lords

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what was the outcome of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 28th March; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Jim Hood (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

28 March 2000

For answer on

30 March 2000

Answered on

30 March 2000

Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the outcome of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 28 March; and if he will make a statement. [117118] Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the outcome of this week's EC Council meeting of Transport Ministers. [116843] Mr. Hill: The Transport Council met in Brussels on 28 March. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Transport represented the United Kingdom. The Commission gave a further report on progress of the definition phase of the Galileo satellite navigation project. Commissioner de Palacio asked for member states' support at the forthcoming World Radio Conference, to ensure that the Galileo project has the radio frequencies needed. She reported that the public private partnership had attracted expressions of interest from the private sector. My right hon. and noble Friend emphasised the need for full cost benefit analysis of the project. The Presidency asked for a written report from the Commission to the June Council. There was a debate on the Commission's Communication on air transport and the environment, first presented at the December 1999 Council. The Communication describes the Commission's proposed five-year work plan for policies and measures to limit or reduce noise and gaseous emissions from aircraft. Member states broadly welcomed the Commission's approach. The UK was among the member states which emphasised that, where possible, international noise standards should be developed at the global level through the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Likewise, on the question of aviation fuel tax, my right hon. and noble Friend joined others in stressing that this was best handled at the global level. Council Conclusions were adopted, confirming the Commission plan and setting priority areas for action. The Commission set out recent development on the hushkits issue. The Regulation on the use of hushkitted aircraft would come into force on 4 May; it was possible that some changes could be made to the date of application to third country aircraft. Work would continue on a joint declaration, committing the EU and the US to a new standard in ICAO. My right hon. and noble Friend referred to the need for a new international standard, and stressed that the Commission should do all possible to seek a solution. The Council agreed Conclusions, endorsing the Commission's further engagement with the US. The Commission stated that it would be producing a list of air passengers' existing rights. This would be followed by legislative proposals. At the June Council, they would report in full on the recent consultation exercise. The Presidency, identifying the issue of a European Charter of Air Passenger Rights as a priority, encouraged the Commission to submit its Communication, including legislative proposals in time for the June Council. The Commission presented a working paper on establishment of a European aviation safety authority (EASA). My right hon. and noble Friend expressed disappointment that the paper did not provide a full analysis of the options of an international organisation or an EU agency, as the December Council had requested. The Presidency said that the Transport Council should aim to take a decision in June on the best legal form for the EASA. The Presidency tabled a revised text of the draft directive on the interoperability of conventional rail systems, which had been presented by the Commission to the December Council, and which the UK broadly supports. The Presidency noted that substantial progress had been made in the Working Group. The Commission agreed that progress had been made and felt that a common position on the draft directive should be possible in June. The Commission presented to the Council its Communication on road safety. Key proposals for action were: further development of the European new vehicles crash testing programme (ENCAP), use of speed limiters on larger vehicles, higher levels of seatbelt and child restraint usage, safer car fronts, and targeting of accident blackspots. Legislative proposals would follow in these areas. My right hon. and noble Friend welcomed the general approach of the Communication, which fitted in well with the recently announced UK road safety strategy. The Communication also refers to the Commission's intention to bring forward a recommendation for a maximum blood alcohol level of 0.5 milligrams per millilitre. The Presidency concluded that further work should be done on the Communication, in preparation for discussion at the June Council. The Commission introduced new proposals on maritime safety, stressing that it was important to make progress in preventing future accidents like that involving the Erika. Action was proposed in two stages. The first stage would involve measures tightening the regulation on port state control of ship standards, improving control of classification societies, and phasing out single-hulled tankers, the last in line with the US timetable. In the short-term, oil companies would be asked to avoid voluntarily the use of tankers more than 15 years old. The second stage of the Commission's proposals involves a change in the information system for all ships, building on the new EQUASIS international database, better monitoring of sea movements of freighters, setting up a European Maritime Safety Agency, and examination of the liability and compensation aspects of oil pollution accidents. Member states supported the proposals for directives on port state control and classification societies, but, more generally, the need for the International Maritime Organisation to be involved was widely stressed. The Uk was among member states which stressed the importance of a proper prior assessment of the economic impact of a rapid phase-out of single hulled tankers. My right hon. and noble Friend also noted the UK's recent proposals to increase the ceiling for payments from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF), and suggested that wider reform should be pursued through the IMO. The Commissioner felt that global action alone was not enough and argued for her proposal on single hulls. The Presidency, however, asked for more work to be done in preparation for the June Council. They urged member states to work together to increase compensation levels in the IOPCF. Under other business, the Commission reported that there had been good progress in the High Level Group set up following the presentation at the December Council of the Commission Communication on air traffic management ("A Single European Sky").

Date

30 March 2000

Reference

347 c230-2W; 117118

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will make a statement on the outcome of this week's EC Council meeting of Transport Ministers.

Asked by

Bernard Jenkin (Conservative)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

27 March 2000

For answer on

30 March 2000

Answered on

30 March 2000

Date

30 March 2000

Reference

347 c230-2W; 116843

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what was the outcome of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 9th-10th December; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Jim Dobbin (Labour; Co-operative Party)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

9 December 1999

For answer on

20 December 1999

Answered on

20 December 1999

Mr. Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the outcome of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 9-10 December; and if he will make a statement. [102635] Mr. Hill: The Transport Council met in Brussels on 9-10 December. My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Macdonald of Tradeston represented the United Kingdom. The Council reached political agreement on a package of three draft directives, which take the opening of the internal market for rail services a significant step further. The package will amend Directives 91/440 and 95/18 and replace Directive 95/19. It will: provide open access for rail freight operators to a Trans-European Rail Freight Network (TERFN), which includes all major terminals and ports; broaden the scope of existing provisions for separation of accounts and certain essential functions between infrastructure management and train service operations; extend Community-wide recognition of train operators' licences to all railway undertakings established in the Community; and establish rules for allocating capacity on railway infrastructure and charging for its use. Conclusions were also adopted on improving interoperability and alleviating rail bottlenecks The Commission gave a progress report to Council on the definition phase of the Galileo satellite navigation project, including a report on discussions with the US and Russia. Lord Macdonald expressed the UK's disappointment at the pace of work on public-private financing and cost benefit analysis. He said that more work was needed to enable decisions to be taken at the end of 2000 on the future development of satellite navigation in Europe. There was a debate on the establishment of a European Aviation Safety Authority. The Commission proposed that the new authority should be set up as a Community agency. The UK and some other member states argued that an international body was preferable, as the Council had previously agreed. It would be genuinely pan-European and would have the support of the aviation industry. Following the debate, the Presidency asked the Commission to produce an analysis of its proposal for a Community agency, but also to begin exploratory talks with third countries. The Commission gave a presentation to the Council on air traffic management in Europe. Referring to lack of ATM capacity as a cause of increasing delays, and to the need for greater cooperation between states, the Commission proposed centralised management of a "Single European Sky". The Commissioner, Mrs. de Palacio, proposed that she should chair a high level group of member states' representatives, to study the issue. It would aim to report to the Transport Council in June 2000. The Council discussed aviation noise problems. The Commission reported on the latest developments in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on international standards and on its recent consultations with the United States. The Council reaffirmed its commitment to the ICAO process, and repeated that, if the outcome was successful and met the EU's objectives, existing Community legislation could be replaced by new international rules if these were more favourable. The Commission was invited to look at the issue urgently and propose solutions. The Commission presented a study on the economic impact of the draft directive on ferry manning, which would ensure that conditions for third country crew members on intra-EC ferry services were at least as favourable as those of EC crew members. The study suggested that the impact would be negligible. The Commission's view remained that the directive would protect jobs in the EU. The UK and some other member states welcomed the report and strongly supported the proposal, which was first put forward during the UK Presidency. The Council will return to the issue at a later date. The Council held a further debate on proposals for the extension of working time provisions to road transport. There remains disagreement between member states on fundamental issues, including application to the self-employed. Following the debate, the Presidency concluded that the Council should continue to look for solutions. There was a progress report from the Commission on negotiations with ten Central and Eastern European countries on extension of the aviation single market. The Council adopted Resolutions on the promotion of short sea shipping and on ways to encourage the greater use of intermodal freight transport. It also adopted a mandate authorising the Commission to commence air transport negotiations with Cyprus. There were also Commission reports on: indicators on transport and the environment; the recent report of the forum on barriers to innovation in transport, which aimed to produce an action plan by the end of 2000; Community accession to Eurocontrol, on which the Commission hoped that an Accession protocol could be signed at the MATSE VI Conference of aviation Ministers on 27 January; the recent aviation open skies conference in Chicago; and a Commission Communication on air transport and the environment.

Date

20 December 1999

Reference

341 c346-8W; 102635

House

House of Commons

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