Mr Alain Grill, Chairman of EUROYARDS, had a meeting with Vice-President Bangemann today. The aim of the meeting was twofold : firstly to have an exchange of views concerning EUROYARDS, a grouping of five big yards from four Member States which have jointly developed a safe tanker and secondly to discuss the Maritime Forum. One of the main objectives of the Maritime Forum, which was established in January 1992, is to foster cooperation within and between maritime industries in Europe in order to help the sectors concerned to become more competitive. For example, even the biggest Community yards have hardly half the capacity of their Japanese or South Korean competitors, which furthermore mostly belong to big industrial conglomerates. EUROYARDS can therefore be regarded as an example of the Forum's policy. EUROYARDS is also an example of how industrial and environmental ambitions can be pursued jointly. EUROYARDS is the grouping which has developed the so-called E3 Tanker : European, Economic and Ecological. The E3 Tanker is a VLCC - a very large crude oil carrier - with specific and extensive safety characteristics. Against the background of the latest tanker accidents, the five yards believe that they and their tanker can contribute effectively to the current discussion about safer ships. Mr Bangemann, as initiator of the Commission's Maritime Forum, welcomed the fact that the Forum, which has been organised under the auspices of the maritime industries themselves since January this year, has led successfully to cooperation within the maritime sector. With regard to the recent tanker accidents, he stressed that the Commission will soon put forward its communication on safety at sea. The same topic is also planned to be treated by a special Panel of the Maritime Forum, which will be proposed by the Commission at the Forum's High Level Panel in Hamburg on 16 March 1993. The Chairmen of maritime industries and the Commissioners responsible for transport, environment, competition and industry - Messrs Matutes, Paleokrassas, Van Miert and Bangemann will attend this Panel. * * *
