Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-19-Speech-5-064"
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"en.19991119.4.5-064"2
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"Mr President, I want to thank you for the very wide-ranging and serious discussion here today.
As has been mentioned, the whole issue of shipbuilding has a deep impact on public opinion. We are getting closer to the opening of the world trade negotiations in Seattle and we urgently need the support of the public to be able to go forward with globalisation. But if our public thinks that there are rules for some but not for the others, this has a devastating effect for these negotiations. There have been discussions on this matter in the Commission which for that reason alone we take very seriously. We need free trade but we need fair trade, as has been said here.
I will reply to those points which are directly my responsibility. There have been others and I will forward those questions to my colleagues.
Mr Caudron asked what has happened so far. After the Industry Council I invited the Korean Ambassador to the Commission on Wednesday, presented the conclusions of the Council and explained to him our concern about shipbuilding. We consider it extremely important to have a strong shipbuilding industry in Europe. We will not accept aggressive measures which would lead to its destruction. We also informed the Korean side that it is important that their government supports meetings of the industries. In the shipbuilding context and OECD, the intention is to organise a meeting now between both industries to analyse the situation and to draw the necessary conclusions. Industry needs to meet but we need public support from both sides for the conclusions reached at this meeting in December. Here I am working closely with my colleague, Pascal Lamy.
Secondly, on the issue of IMF and the World Bank, I was in contact this week with the President of the Industry Council and he has promised to take the issue up in the Presidency so that ECOFIN, which is meeting in November, can discuss the IMF and World Bank role in the area. The Finance Ministers in the member countries are, as it were, the counterpart of the IMF and World Bank and it is very important that all the member countries are urged to consider the issue of the possible negative impact of the IMF and World Bank support on the shipbuilding market. They need to inquire carefully whether support to shipbuilding and shipbuilders has distorted the situation in the world market.
After these issues have been discussed, on the one hand by the Finance Ministers, ECOFIN, IMF and the World Bank and, on the other hand, by OECD, we must assess the situation and take any necessary further actions.
As far as the American shipbuilding issues are concerned, the Jones Act is the famous American legislation. It requires orders in United States yards for internal navigation. So under this particular legislation the vessel must be built in the USA. This Jones Act has been exempted under GATT. The only possibility is that the Commission and member countries take the issue up in the WTO context. This has been discussed earlier but was resisted very strongly by the Americans."@en1
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