P6_TA(2005)0229

International Dolphin Conservation Programme *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion by the European Community of the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme (COM(2004)0764 — C6-0245/2004 — 2004/0268(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the proposal for a Council decision (COM(2004)0764) [1],

- having regard to Article 37 in conjunction with Article 300(2), first subparagraph, of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to Article 300(3), first subparagraph, of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6-0245/2004),

- having regard to Rules 51 and 83(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A6-0157/2005),

1. Approves the proposal for a Council decision as amended and approves conclusion of the agreement;

2. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

Amendment 1

Recital 1 a (new)

(1a) Council Regulation (EC) No 882/2003 of 19 May 2003 [2] established a tuna tracking and verification system.

Amendment 2

Recital 4

(4) The 35th Intergovernmental meeting on the conservation of tunas and dolphins in the Eastern Pacific Ocean adopted in February 1998 the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme.

(4) The 35th Intergovernmental meeting on the conservation of tunas and dolphins in the Eastern Pacific Ocean adopted on 7 February 1998 the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme. The Agreement was signed in Washington on 21 May 1998 and entered into force on 15 February 1999.

Amendment 3

Recital 4 a (new)

(4a) To date there are 15 contracting parties to this Agreement: Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Spain, United States, Vanuatu and Venezuela.

Amendment 4

Recital 5 a (new)

(5a) The European Union recognises the importance of the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme (AIDCP) in protecting sustainable fishing, and its certification scheme as a means of guaranteeing the ecological conservation of other species, particularly dolphins.

Amendment 5

Recital 7

(7) The Community signed the Agreement in accordance with the Council Decision to this end.

(7) The Community signed the AIDCP but decided, pursuant to Council Decision 1999/386/EC of 7 June 1999 [3], to apply it provisionally pending completion of the required procedures for its official accession to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

Amendment 6

Recital 9

(9) The Community decided to apply provisionally the Agreement [4] until completion of the required procedures for its accession to the IATTC.

Amendment 7

Recital 9 a (new)

(9a) By virtue of the provisional application referred to in recital 7, the "Dolphin Safe" certification provided for under the AIDCP has been the only one recognised by the Community up to now.

Amendment 8

Recital 13 a (new)

(13a) The information forwarded through the text of the AIDCP may help consumers in their decisions relating to the purchase of products linked to tuna fishing in the area covered by the Agreement.

Amendment 9

Recital 13 b (new)

(13b) Regulation (EC) No 882/2003 includes a definition of both "dolphin-safe tuna" and "non-dolphin-safe tuna" and provides for, inter alia, the separation and identification of both types of tuna.

Amendment 10

Article 1 a (new)

Article 1a

The Council shall implement measures allowing the permanent updating of procedures for the tracking and verification of catches of tuna in the area covered by the Agreement, by virtue of the entry into force of Regulation (EC) No 882/2003.

Amendment 11

Article 1 b (new)

Article 1b

Only tuna that conforms with the definition of "dolphin-safe tuna" included in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2003 shall be allowed to be labelled as "dolphin-safe tuna".

Amendment 12

Article 1 c (new)

Article 1c

The Community shall support measures aimed at ensuring that an adequate level of information about AIDCP eco-labelling is achieved and maintained for the benefit of consumers in Europe.

[1] Not yet published in OJ.

[2] OJ L 127, 23.5.2003, p. 1.

[3] OJ L 147, 12.6.1999, p. 23.

[4] OJ L 147, 12.06.1999, p. 23.

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