91998E2469

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2469/98

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(30 July 1998)

Subject: Port State Control Directive

Is the Commission satisfied that the Port State Control Directive can be satisfactorily enforced in the area under the jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority, given that their recent Pilotage Direction No 5 significantly reduced the number of vessels boarded by port officials?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(14 September 1998)

The Commission has no evidence to suggest that the reduction in boarding of vessels by pilots in the port of London will result in a significant reduction of Port State Control inspections. The decision by Port State Control officers to inspect a vessel is based on a large number of other criteria, particularly taking into account the ship inspection history, the ship's age and type and the performance of the Flag State in which it is registered.

Moreover, the fact that in a given port of a Member State the number of Port State Control inspections diminishes does not automatically imply that there is a reduction in the number of vessels inspected at national level and it cannot be considered, in itself, to be a violation of Directive 95/21/EC(1).

(1) OJ L 157, 7.7.1995.