Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-02-Speech-2-066"
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"en.20030902.3.2-066"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner de Palacio, Commissioner Barnier, ladies and gentlemen, the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats welcomes and approves the conclusion of the maritime transport agreement between the European Union and its Member States on the one hand and the People’s Republic of China on the other. This agreement is intended to guarantee fair and non-discriminatory treatment of European and Chinese shipping companies in each party’s respective ports and thus enable trade between the European Union and China to be carried on even more smoothly. This is all the more important in view of the fact that the People’s Republic of China is now already the European Union’s third largest trading partner.
This agreement is important because it not only governs maritime cargo transport, including the intermodal transport associated with it, but also guarantees that wholly-owned subsidiaries can be founded in either State party to this agreement. Such subsidiaries shall be entitled, among other things, to employ key personnel irrespective of their nationality. I see this as amounting to a definite gain in terms of legal certainty for our European shipping companies.
You are probably just as well aware as many others among us that we have many agreements and dialogues with China, but that it is the local authorities – and that is what the port authorities are – who sometimes have other ways of doing things. It is for that reason that it is of quite crucial significance that we should now be concluding an agreement intended to secure non-discriminatory treatment in all Chinese ports for our European shipping companies. It is, of course, for the Commission to ensure that this agreement is promptly and properly implemented throughout China, and you, Commissioner, and also Vice-President, de Palacio, can perhaps say something about why this is so. This is particularly the case as regards the non-discriminatory use of port infrastructures and maritime services by European shipping companies in Chinese ports, but it also applies to the case of European shipping companies, who have to pay duties and charges, doing so in the same way as others, without being put at a disadvantage or discriminated against, and as regards customs formalities, which must not handicap our trade and our shipping companies in Chinese ports. We also appeal to the European shipping companies to come to us and to the Commission if there are problems, so that we can follow them up.
Let me now turn to the amendment to the motion for a resolution tabled by Mr Simpson and Mr Watts, the latter of whom and I know each other so well. This amendment is quite simply superfluous. In the course of the proceedings in committee, there was some correspondence with the Commission, which said what you, Mr Watts, have yourself confirmed, namely that this is an agreement for Europe’s and China’s shipping companies. What flags their ships sail under is a matter for them. This is a matter of international custom, and so you cannot behave as if European shipping companies’ use of the flags of third countries were a crime or something highly dangerous. The Commission itself has given assurances that it will see to it that European seafarers are not put to any disadvantage by this agreement. We trust the Commission. The amendment is superfluous!"@en1
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