Select Committee on European Scrutiny Thirty-Second Report


22 Inland waterways

(25707)

9912/04

COM(04) 392

Draft Directive on harmonised river traffic information services on inland waterways in the Community

Legal baseArticle 71 EC; co-decision; QMV
DepartmentTransport
Basis of considerationMinister's letter of 5 October 2004
Previous Committee ReportHC 42-xxv (2003-04), para 2 (30 June 2004)
To be discussed in CouncilNot known
Committee's assessmentPolitically important
Committee's decisionCleared

Background

22.1 Europe has over 30,000 kilometres (nearly 19,000 miles) of canals and rivers connecting hundreds of towns and industrial areas. A core of about 10,000 kilometres (6,250 miles) connects the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany and Austria. The Commission's 2001 White Paper, European Transport Policy for 2010: time to decide, noted inland water transport as a key part of a European intermodal transport system in which links with rail and short sea shipping would give an alternative to a congested road network. During recent years the capabilities and use of new technologies in inland navigation have greatly increased.

The document

22.2 This draft Directive would create a Europe-wide harmonised framework for River Traffic Information Services (RIS) in order to ensure compatibility and interoperability between current and new RIS systems and to achieve effective interaction between different information services on inland waterways categorised as of international importance by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (being suitable for vessels over 1,000 tonnes). It would apply also to inland ports with at least 500,000 tonnes of freight per year.

22.3 When we considered this document in June 2004 we noted that, although the draft Directive appeared to offer useful benefits, it might well have little or no application in the UK. We asked to hear the outcome of the Government's consideration of the extent to which it would seek exemption for the UK from the proposed Directive before considering it further. We also asked to hear about the cost implications if the Government did decide to accept some application of the measure in the UK.[45]

The Minister's letter

22.4 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Mr David Jamieson) now tells us:

"The wording of the original draft of the Directive was not entirely clear as to whether UK would be able to seek full exemption and/or disapply the provisions of the Directive for all UK inland waterways. However, in Council working group we have succeeded in negotiating clearer wording on the Directive's scope.

"The revised draft Directive makes it explicit that harmonised RIS need only be established on those inland waterways of the relevant classes that are linked to inland waterways of other Member States. As the UK does not have any linked inland waterways of the relevant classes, the Directive would not place any obligations in relation to UK waterways. Furthermore, the text of the proposed Directive is now addressed only to those Member States which do have inland waterways falling within the scope of the Directive.

"I am therefore pleased to report that, as drafted, the UK would not need to transpose the Directive into UK law so there would be no cost burdens imposed on UK industry."

Conclusion

22.5 We are grateful to the Minister for this information. Since the proposal, as drafted, is no longer to apply to the UK we clear the document.


45   See headnote. Back


 
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