European Maritime Safety Agency: competence

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Emmanouil MASTORAKIS (PES, GR) making some amendments to the Commission's proposals. (Please see the summary of 21/01/04.) In addition, Parliament added the following key amendments: - the Agency can only assist with maritime security within the limits of the tasks defined in the Regulation; - regard should be had to the existing agreements on accidental pollution, such as the Bonn Co-operation Agreement, which facilitate mutual assistance and cooperation between Member States in this field, as well as to the relevant international conventions and agreements for the protection of European maritime areas from pollution incidents, such as the OPRC Convention 2 developed under the auspices of the IMO, the OSPAR Convention 3, the Barcelona Convention, the Helsinki Convention and the Lisbon Agreement. - an additional task for the Agency is the verification of compliance of third countries with the requirements of the STCW Convention and of the measures taken to prevent fraud involving certificates of competency; - a new clause is added on the adoption of the work programme. In the event that the Commission expresses, within 15 days from the date of adoption of the work programme, its disagreement with the programme, the Administrative Board must reexamine the programme and adopt it, possibly amended, within a period of two months, in second reading either with a two-thirds majority, including the Commission representatives, or by unanimity of the representatives of the Member States; - a new clause was added on the Executive Directors responsibilities on the work programme and the detailed plan for the Agency's pollution preparedness and response activities.�