Brussels orders even landlocked countries to enact maritime

Anthony Butcher · 24-07-2005, 06:29 PM

Quote:

They have no coastline; no international mariners ply their non-existent territorial waters. You might think that would excuse landlocked Hungary and Slovakia from implementing European Union legislation on safety at sea, but that would be to underestimate Brussels bureaucracy.

The two countries are being threatened with expensive legal action in the European Court of Justice for failing to bring in Europe's maritime laws.

Slovakia last week received two EC "yellow cards" for ignoring the laws. Known in EU-speak as "reasoned opinions", they are final warnings issued to national governments before court action is taken.

"The commission has decided to send a double reasoned opinion to Slovakia on account of its failure to transpose INTO phpbb_national law a number of directives on maritime safety, including that of passenger ships and the prevention of pollution from ships," the EC said.

While admitting that Slovakia was "not a maritime state" the commission sought to justify its warning. There are 20 vessels which fly the Slovakian flag but trade elsewhere in the world, it said, and they need to be inspected and certified according to the new criteria. The Slovakian embassy countered that the Slovakian-flagged ships were not of the kind covered by the directive.

"As far as passenger ships are concerned, you're not actually allowed to register them in Slovakia," said Marta Domokova, a spokesman. Resignedly, she added: "We have no coastline but it looks as if we are going to have to implement all these laws anyway."

The Hungarian government was chastised for failing to respect EU laws on the "availability of port facilities for ship-generated waste."

This lack of respect may seem excusable given that Hungary has no visiting ships, no ports and therefore no need for facilities in which to store waste. This, the commission said, was not the point.

"Though it has no maritime ports, Hungary has a maritime register," the commission explained. "Transposition of the directive by Hungary is therefore needed in view of the obligations on masters of ships."

While it may be tempting for the countries to ignore the yellow cards, in the hope that the commission will go away, they would be best advised not to.

The European Court of Justice has the right to impose fines on national governments if EU law is not upheld. Recently, France was fined €20 million (£13.9 million) for letting its fishermen catch fish that were too small.

Until France complies with the EU law, it will face a further fine of almost €60 million (£41.7 million) every six months.

Alex McKee · 24-07-2005, 10:44 PM

What madness. I really have nothing else to say, I'm just shell-shocked at the bedlam.

:shock:

mkpdavies · 25-07-2005, 12:51 PM

No shock here. It's par for the course isn't it?

This country is becoming so numb to the madness, that they are willing to accept madness as the norm now.

:cry:

25-07-2005, 12:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 30,837 Party: Libertarian Party	No shock here. It's par for the course isn't it? This country is becoming so numb to the madness, that they are willing to accept madness as the norm now. :cry: __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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24-07-2005, 10:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
Alex McKee Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gloucester Posts: 6,666	What madness. I really have nothing else to say, I'm just shell-shocked at the bedlam. :shock: