Chairman’s Report 10/05

October 15th, 2005 by JCB
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Chairman’s Report

With Parliament on its summer recess, London is in a quiet period. However, the conference season is upon us and I have attended the Labour Party conference for lobbying purposes. I met with the Shipping Minister, Dr Steven Ladyman, Ministers, MPs and MEPs on the Transport committee. The Port Access Directive was discussed with Dr Ladyman and it would appear that, despite the activity in Brussels with presentations of amendments for consideration in the EU Parliament, the directive would not survive. The opportunity arose to meet with Lord Tony Berkeley in Brighton and questions have been formulated to be asked in the Lord’s regarding the lack of progress on the National Occupation Standards and on the use of a simulator programme set up for Belfast by the South Shields Maritime College. The questions and replies will be issued in a circular in the near future.

Department for Transport: The work on

the amendments to the 1987 Pilotage Act continues and, with recent events, further amendments are being considered and these will be presented to the Department in due course. Both Phil Hart (Pilotage) and James Weeden (Policy Advisor) will be at conference to give a presentation and answer questions.

Legal: Primarily we have been involved in the case involving Kristian Pedersen. A prehearing review was called for in advance of the Tribunal and I am pleased to inform you that the Chairperson of the Pre-hearing Review made it clear that there was a case to be heard at a Tribunal. Hopefully this will be heard by the latest March 2006. In the meantime Kristian has found employment and we wish him well both in his job and in the outcome of the Tribunal.

The T&G legal department have employed a Barrister to assist with the employment issues that have arisen in Belfast and Fergus Whitty is monitoring the situation. The Belfast Harbour Commission have presented a proposal for a new contract to the pilots. This new contract involves five pilots being made redundant. Blake Lapthorn Linnell’s employment team will examine the contract. The Transport and General’s legal department is also involved, in particular, scrutinising the roster and holiday arrangements with regard to the WTD.

BLL are looking into the Bristol pilots contract and other issues and on behalf of Gloucester pilots with regard to insurance cover to piloting in an area not covered by their CHA.

The London pilots have legal work ongoing regarding a consultation Thames Notice to Mariner’s regarding the administration and use of local navigation certificates (shifting pilotage).

Europe: On the 6^th of September a Council of Presidents (COP) Task group met in Paris to discuss the European Port Package, EUPP(2). The commission had given a deadline of the 19^th of September for amendments to the directive to be received. In Paris the amendments were considered in detail and a final draft prepared.

Arrangements were made to meet Georg Jarzembowski, the Rapporteur of the Ports Directive, on the 12^th to present the amendments. The amendments from all participants number 308 in total and these will be debated in the EU parliament on the 10^th of October.

It would appear that the Dutch Pilots Company do not wish to continue involvement in the MarNIS project. This will mean EMPA taking over the project and the re-organization will be discussed at the EMPA Board of Directors meeting in Antwerp on the 10^th and 11^th of October. A Research and Development (R&D) group is being set up within EMPA that will take on the MarNIS project. The UK will have a prominent role in the (R&D) group. Regarding ETCS, the code and guidelines are lodged with the EU Commission and EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency) and we await their decision and comments. The UK Government, in their role as President of the EU, is hosting a meeting to present to European Commissioners and other interested organizations a programme entitled ‘Maritime Employment Event’. The ‘Event’ will be held at the Excel Conference Centre in London’s Docklands on the 5^th of October and both Chris Lefevere, Secretary /General of EMPA and myself will be attending. The UKMPA continues to lobby in Brussels on your behalf on all matters that affect our profession. A new EU project has recently surfaced with the acronym of ESMARALDA And it definitely is a case of ‘the bells, the bells’ tolling for pilotage. It talks about removing the necessity of boarding pilots at sea because of the time wasted in transiting to the berth. EMPA will have to become involved in this project and monitor it carefully. The ‘Esmaralda project’ has been designed by the European Harbour Masters Association (EHMA).

CHIRP: The AGM of CHIRP is being held on the 3^rd of October at Farnborough. The CHIRP maritime board will meet after the AGM. There is an interesting issue to be discussed regarding compulsory pilotage. Please continue to make full use of the Confidential reporting system.