Maritime safety: seafarers, minimum training level

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report of Mr. SARLIS (Gr., EPP) on the Commission proposal. But a Committee majority felt that the rapporteur's text would lead to regionalization and therefore rejected most of his amendments. The majority got the support of the Commission's representative, who told Committee members that adoption of the Sarlis amendments would seriously damage the directive. Nevertheless, Committee and Commission agreed on one thing: the training of seamen in the Community has to be improved. Said Mr. VAN DER WAAL (NL, n.i.): "I am against Mr. Sarlis' amendments, because they lead to less severe conditions for EC seamen and to moderate conditions for non-EC seamen. This is bringing us nowhere". And the Committee stressed that on an EC ship the crew should have at least on language in common. The Commission representative told Committee members that the Commission is against a directive leading to regionalization. Circumstances in the south of the Community may not vary from those in more northern Member States. The European Union should accept the IMO conditions. He said that 80% of accidents at sea are due to human failure.