THERE is a danger that the European Union port state control directive will reduce demand for pilotage services, a key Euro MP warned yesterday.

Substandard ship operators would be less likely to take on board non-compulsory deepsea pilots if, as proposed, the pilots were under an obligation to report deficiencies, said Dominique Vlasto, the rapporteur in charge of forming the Strasbourg parliament’s view on the directive.

Ms Vlasto was responding to a statement made this week by European Maritime Pilots’ Association secretary-general Chris Lefevere, who said its membership backed the “well balanced” European Commission proposal.

The French MEP said she resented the association’s suggestion she was acting in the interest of shipowners after listening to the views of “a few French pilots”.

The objections to the draft directive, reported last week in Lloyd’s List, were made in the name of deepsea pilots themselves, she said.

“Will not the obligation on deepsea pilots to report deficiencies discourage other companies from using them?” she said.

“The problem seems to me to be all the less theoretical given that pilots are not inspectors. There was nothing in the commission’s proposal which would counterbalance this disincentive.”

Ms Vlasto added: “I am not asking the question in the name of the shipowners, but in the name of the pilots.

“Contrary to what Mr Lefevere said, I did not listen to ‘a few French pilots’ but to my colleagues, the European parliament deputies. They are the ones who have attracted my attention on this point.”

French pilots had not raised any objection in their written position on the directive, she said.

 Substandard ship operators were not big users of non-compulsory pilotage services, Ms Vlasto continued.

“I wonder about the interests expressed in the commission’s proposal,” she said. “Do substandard operators call on the services of deepsea pilots in situations where pilotage is not compulsory but nevertheless recommended for reasons of maritime safety? I am not convinced.”

The parliament would not be raising the question of any potential financial liability for pilots during its discussion of the directive, she indicated.

The association should have lobbied the parliament before now, the MEP said, adding: “If Empa has views different from mine I will be very happy to talk about it and my office is open. I have received all the organisations which have asked to be received. I can only regret that Empa has not deemed it useful to meet me until now.”