[autom.vertaling] Het verbeteren van havenveiligheid (en)

Ports are an essential link within the transport chain, linking up maritime areas with landslide and passenger flows. They are often the focal point for trans-shipments of dangerous cargo and are often situated near cities. Terrorist attacks in ports can result in serious disruptions to transport systems and trigger knock-on effects, as well as harming people in the port and the neighbouring population.

Therefore, Parliament has adopted a legislative report by Jeanine HENNIS-PLASSCHAERT (ELDR, NL) on a directive on enhancing port security.

Following negotiations between Council, Commission and Parliament, a range of compromise amendments have been adopted, thus avoiding second reading and ensuring an earlier entry into force of this legislation. The key element of the directive is that the actors and procedures that are crucial to enhancing port security are clearly defined. Member States shall designate a port security authority and appoint a port security officer for every port. Given the fact that the security situations in, for example, the port of Rotterdam and the port of Marseille are totally different, Member States shall, under the subsidiarity principle, determine themselves the security levels in use for each port or part of a port.

The effective and standard application of security measures raises important questions in relation to its funding. The House took the view that the funding of extra security measures should not lead to a distortion in competition. In order to ensure a level playing field, the Commission should, by 30 June at the latest, submit the findings of a study on the costs involved in measures taken under this directive and addressing in particular the way financing is shared between the public authorities, port authorities and operators.

Mrs Hennis-Plasschaert stressed that the success of this directive depended on its effective implementation and enforcement. Therefore, the Commission should carry out inspections and should guarantee that the directive is implemented to the same level in all the Member States.