Bid for more coordination but details 'will be avoided'

A Green Paper to be published next week by European Commissioner Joe Borg will propose a more coordinated and all-embracing EU approach to maritime issues but stop short of any details on how to achieve this, his official spokesman told The Times yesterday.

The international shipping newspaper Lloyds List yesterday led with a story saying that Dr Borg was seeking to take over responsibility for maritime transport - his current portfolio is limited to fisheries and maritime affairs - from French Commissioner Jacques Barrot.

Lloyds List said: "Dr Borg's imminent Green Paper will suggest that the maritime industries be 'hived off' and managed either by the maritime commissioner himself or by a group of commissioners in a 'coordination set-up'".

However, the spokesman said these statements were "untrue" and "unfounded". She said the Green Paper was being published to launch a debate. "Nobody, except Lloyds List, is saying that Dr Borg wants to take maritime transport away from Mr Barrot. It is not the case at all."

She said the Green Paper dealt with the various areas that concerned the EU in maritime affairs - such as energy, shipping, and coastal tourism - and looked at how these could be better coordinated. "There is little coordination at the moment as policies are dealt with independently."

She said that more coordination and better planning would be beneficial, since the implementation of one policy area often had an effect on the other. "For example, wind turbines out to sea could have an impact on shipping radars," she said, stressing, however, that the Green Paper would not go into detail.

In any case, a consultation period of one year will follow after it is published on Wednesday.

Dr Borg is quoted by Lloyds List as saying: "The consultation phase will have to go into the role of maritime transport within maritime policy and we will have to address the issue of whether maritime transport should remain part of transport policy or whether there should be some change.

"One has to address the matter because I think it is crucial. Would it solve matters to hive off maritime transport from the rest of transport or would it create new problems?"

The spokesman said the consultation period will allow the public to have an input and also enable the Commission to make its views known before the Council and European Parliament decide on the way forward.

She denied that the two commissioners have a personal disliking for each other as was alleged in the Lloyds List report, which said the Green Paper would increase the animosity between the two men.

She said: "They have a very cordial relationship so I cannot imagine where that comes from. They do get on well."

When asked if Mr Barrot agreed with the proposals in the Green Paper, she said: "As far as I know. All the commissioners, including Mr Barrot, welcome the Green Paper."