&RQVHLO Luxembourg, 26 June 2000 9547/00 (Presse 224) WK&RXQFLOPHHWLQJ 75$163257 /X[HPERXUJ-XQH President :0U-RUJH&2(/+2 Minister for Social Infrastructure of the Portuguese Republic &217(176 3$57,&,3$176,,, ,7(06'(%$7(' SHIPPING ........................................................................................................................................ IV DIRECTIVE ON SHIP INSPECTION ORGANISATIONS ....................................................... IV DIRECTIVE ON PORT STATE CONTROL OF SHIPPING .................................................... IV REGULATION ON DOUBLE-HULL OIL TANKERS ............................................................... IV MARITIME SAFETY - CONCLUSIONS................................................................................... V GALILEO .......................................................................................................................................... VI AIR TRANSPORT ........................................................................................................................... VII PASSENGER RIGHTS .......................................................................................................... VII SINGLE EUROPEAN SKY.................................................................................................... VIII SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND ATTESTATION OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE FOR CABIN CREWS IN CIVIL AVIATION ................................................. VIII ESTABLISHMENT OF A EUROPEAN AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY (EASA).............. VIII TRANSATLANTIC COMMON AVIATION AREA .................................................................... IX INLAND TRANSPORT ..................................................................................................................... IX IMPROVEMENT OF ROAD SAFETY - RESOLUTION .......................................................... IX INTEROPERABILITY OF THE CONVENTIONAL RAIL SYSTEM ....................................... XIII TRANSIT RIGHTS FOR HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES THROUGH AUSTRIA (ECOPOINTS)....................................................................................................................... XIII DISTRIBUTION OF PERMITS FOR HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES TRAVELLING IN SWITZERLAND .................................................................................................................... XIV OTHER BUSINESS........................................................................................................................XIV COMMISSION COMMUNICATION ON SAFER AND MORE COMPETITIVE QUALITY ROAD TRANSPORT IN THE COMMUNITY ........................................................................XIV ICAO: PROGRESS ON NOISE POLLUTION........................................................................XV ,7(06$33529(':,7+287'(%$7( 75$163257 ;9 − Directives concerning the transport of dangerous goods by road and by rail........................XV $8',29,68$/&8/785$/$))$,56 ;9 &86720681,21;9, − EC/Turkey customs cooperation...........................................................................................XVI 5(6($5&+;9, − Cooperation agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan .................................................XVI ),6+(5,(6;9, − Amendment of the Regulation concerning TACs and quotas for 2000.................................XVI &28572)$8',7256 ;9, − Special Report No 6/99 concerning the principle of additionality..........................................XVI − Special Report No 7/99 concerning the development of industrial sites..............................XVII − Special Report No 3/2000 on measures to assist the employment of young persons under the EAGGF (Guidance Section) ................................................................................XVII − Special Report No 7/2000 concerning the International Fund for Ireland and the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of Ireland...............................................................................................................XVII (&2),1;9,,, − Principles for recording taxes and social contributions .......................................................XVIII 75$'(32/,&< ;9,,, − EC-Kazakhstan Agreement on trade in textile products .....................................................XVIII $332,170(176 ;,; − Committee of the Regions.....................................................................................................XIX BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB )RUIXUWKHULQIRUPDWLRQFDOO 3$57,&,3$176 The Governments of the Member States and the European Commission were represented as follows: %HOJLXP Ms Isabelle DURANT Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Mobility and Transport 'HQPDUN Mr Jacob BUKSTI Minister for Transport *HUPDQ\ Mr Reinhard KLIMMT Federal Minister for Transport, Building and Housing State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Mr Henner WITTLING Building and Housing *UHHFH Mr Christos PAPOUTSIS Minister for Merchant Shipping Mr Christos VERELIS Minister for Transport and Communications 6SDLQ Mr Francisco ÁLVAREZ-CASCOS FERNÁNDEZ Minister for Internal Development )UDQFH Mr Jean-Claude GAYSSOT Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Housing ,UHODQG Ms Mary O'ROURKE Minister for Public Enterprise ,WDO\ Mr Pierluigi BERSANI Minister for Transport and Shipping /X[HPERXUJ Mr Henri GRETHEN Minister for Transport 1HWKHUODQGV Ms Tineke NETELENBOS Minister for Communications and Public Works $XVWULD Mr Michael SCHMID Federal Minister for Communications, Innovation and Technology 3RUWXJDO Mr Jorge COELHO Minister for Social Infrastructure Mr Guilhermino RODRIGUES State Secretary for Transport )LQODQG Mr Olli-Pekka HEINONEN Minister for Communications 6ZHGHQ Mr Björn ROSENGREN Minister for Industry Ms Birgitta HEIJER State Secretary at the Ministry of Industry 8QLWHG.LQJGRP Mr Keith HILL Minister of State at the Ministry of the Environment, Transports and the Regions &RPPLVVLRQ Ms Loyola DE PALACIO Vice-President 6+,33,1* − ',5(&7,9(216+,3,163(&7,2125*$1,6$7,216 Pending the institutional procedures under way (Opinions of the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, codecision procedure with the European Parliament), the Council noted that there was broad agreement on the draft Directive on ship inspection organisations. The draft Directive aims at strengthening and harmonising the quality of the ship inspection and survey organisations undertaking tasks for the Member States ("classification societies"), in particular by: – transferring from the Member States to the Commission the task of recognising, monitoring and suspending the inspection organisations, it being understood that Member States retain the power for appointing the recognised organisations responsible for surveying their fleet; – harmonising the civil liability regime of the recognised organisations; – extending the information to be provided by the recognised organisations to the Commission, the flag States and the Sirenac information system for port State control and, in case of change of classification society, to that newly appointed society. − ',5(&7,9(21325767$7(&21752/2)6+,33,1* The Council took note of progress in the discussions on the Directive proposed by the Commission. It instructed the Permanent Representatives Committee to step up proceedings on that dossier so that the Council could reach agreement at its October meeting and thus advance the codecision procedure with Parliament. The proposal for amending the Directive on port State control aims at making inspections mandatory depending on the targeting system for identifying ships representing high risks established by the Paris Memorandum on port State control. As regards older ships, stricter measures concern, in particular, mandatory expanded inspections in order to detect possible risks and the refusal of access to Community ports of old ships having the worst safety record. The proposal also provides for a wider divulgation of information between port States, Commission and the general public and an improved monitoring of the application of the Directive. − 5(*8/$7,2121'28%/(+8//2,/7$1.(56 The Council noted progress in proceedings on the Regulation proposed by the Commission on the gradual introduction of double-hull oil tankers. It drew attention to the importance of the technical questions raised by the Commission proposal. The Council took note of delegations’ contributions and instructed the Permanent Representatives Committee to continue its work and to make preparations for a discussion at the October Council. The proposal on double-hull tankers aims at accelerating the phasing-out of single-hull oil tankers and their replacement by double-hull tankers as already provided for in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). In this respect, it is to be noted that the United States has already undertaken a similar move under the US Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA90). The Commission proposes that tankers flying the flag of a Member State or entering Community ports will be equipped with double hulls at dates similar to those imposed by the United States. It is also proposed that the phasing-out scheme be extended to vessels smaller than those currently covered by MARPOL. As an accompanying measure, the Commission proposes financial incentives in the form of reduced port and pilotage dues for double-hull tankers and increased dues for single-hull tankers. − 0$5,7,0(6$)(7<&21&/86,216 "1. THE COUNCIL reaffirms its