EU: A controversial European Commission draft directive aimed at opening up sea port services across the EU to competition was decisively rejected by the European Parliament in Strasbourg yesterday.
MEPs voted 532 to 120 to reject the proposal, which could have led to shippers having the right to off-load ships themselves and providing their own pilots for ports.
The Fianna Fáil MEPs rejected it on the basis it did not have the port sector's support. However, after the vote, Seán Ó Neachtáin, (Northwest), a member of the parliament's transport and tourism committee, said Fianna Fáil broadly supported the development of an EU legal framework for the provision of port services.
"However, the commission proposals on the table today did not have the support of the port sector as was witnessed here on Monday during the riots," he said, referring to violent scenes during a protest by European dock workers in Strasbourg. "The rioters did themselves no great favours. There was always a large majority of MEPs against this report. Fianna Fáil MEPs cannot condone such aggression."
Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa (Dublin) welcomed the vote result. He said the move would have worsened employment conditions in Irish and European ports and led to the widespread displacement of skilled jobs by low-paid, casual jobs.
He condemned the Government for its failure to deal with the key problems in the maritime sector and said it was clear the settlement reached in the Irish Ferries dispute did not resolve the core issue of the "race to the bottom" in employment and job security.
"Fianna Fáil and the PDs should take heed of the views expressed in the parliament this week and ensure the member states deliver a comprehensive ports strategy that will protect against casualisation and job displacement, while guaranteeing efficient and competitive services," he said.
"I am particularly concerned about rumours doing the rounds this week that Commissioner McCreevy may be tempted to take advantage of the rejection to lump the ports sector into the scope of the services directive."
The commission is to bring forward proposals again later in the year after consultations with the sector.