TheCommissionhassince,however,agreedthattheprojectcouldandshouldberelaunchedonanew
basis.TheLanguageandCulturalInstitutesandtheObservatoireinternationaldelalanguefrançaise(OILF),whichsetupthePreparatorymeetinginJanuary2003withtheCommissionandwithParliamenthasbeeninvited/dashtogetherwithotherInstitutes/dashtodraftaproposalfororganisingthissymposium.Theproposalshould,interalia,definetheparametersandcostofsuchanevent.
Dependingonthetermsoftheproposalproduced,theCommissionwillconsiderprovidingthetechnical
supportforthesettingupofthesymposium,onthesensibleconditionthattheInstitutesandtheOILF
takealeadingroleinitsorganisation.
ThissolutionreflectstheCommission’ssupportforencouragingfruitfulexternaldebateonthevarious
aspectsofmultilingualismanditsadherencetoitsobligationsundertheECTreatyandunderitsInternalRulesofProceduretoensurethepracticeofmultilingualismbyitsLanguageServicesthroughpragmaticmeasures.NothingthattheCommissionhasdone,orwilldo,couldeverbefairlydescribedasbeingpartofanyattemptto‘exclude’languagesor‘abolishorproscribe’identity.Onthecontrary,allpoliciesandactions of the Commissionare motivated by the active commitmentto foster cultural, linguistic andpersonaldiversityanddistinctiveness.
(2004/C58E/102) WRITTENQUESTIONP-1675/03
byIngerSchörling(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(13May2003)
Subject:Follow-upquestiononcompensationtoEUfishermen
WithrespecttotheearlierquestiononcompensationthathasbeenpaidtoEUfishermenforcessationof
fishingactivities(P-0742/03(1)),theCommissionhasgivenonlyapartialanswer.
ApparentlythreeMemberStateshavemadesuchpaymentsunderthecurrentFIFGprogrammebutthe
Commissiondidnotprovideallofthedatawhichwererequested.
SpainandPortugal/dashcompensationwaspaidresultingfromthenon-renewaloftheMoroccanagreement
butnodataareprovidedonthenumberofvesselsandfishermenfromeachcountryorthetimeperiod(s)involved.Also,thequestionreferredtoship-owners,notvessels.
Belgium/dashnodataaregivenonthetimeperiod(s)involved(wasthisforoneormoreevents?)noronthe
fishery(ies)involvedandthecircumstancesleadingtothestoppage(s).Also,thequestionreferredtoship-owners,notvessels.
Forthepreviousprogrammingperiod,onlythetotalamountsofcompensationpaidbyeachoffour
MemberStatesisgiven,whereassimilardetailswererequestedasinthecurrentprogramme(fishery,timeperiod,numberoffishermenandship-owners,etc).
CouldtheCommissionprovidethemissinginformation?
(1) OJC242E,9.10.2003,p.170.
AnswergivenbyMrFischleronbahalfoftheCommission
(16June2003)
Inthisfollow-uptotheHounourableMember’sWrittenQuestionP-0742/03,theHonourableMember
requests additional information regarding the implementation of Article 16 (temporary cessation of6.3.2004EN C58E/85 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
activities)ofthecurrentFinancialInstrumentforFisheriesGuidance(FIFG)(1)Regulation.Regrettably,the
Commission was unable to provide a complete answer to this initial question because the reportingrequirementsfortheMemberStatesregardingmeasuresco-financedbytheFIFGduringthe2000-2006programming period are limited. These requirements are actually laid down in Annexes I and IV ofCommissionRegulation(EC)No366/2001(
2).
Withrespecttotemporarycessationofactivities,theserequirementsrelatetothetypeofaction(asdefined
intheFIFGRegulation),thenumberofvesselsandfishermeninvolvedandthenumberofdaysofactivitylostandgivingentitlementtocompensation(tovesselsandtofishermen).Thisimplies,forexample,thattheCommissionisunabletoprovideinformationonthenumberofship-ownerswhohavebenefitedfromthismeasureexceptwhenallofthemownonlyonevessel.Inallothercases,thatiswheneversomebenefitingvesselsbelongtothesameship-owner,allthatcanbesaidisthatthenumberofbenefitingship-ownersislikelytobelowerthanthenumberofvesselsaffected.
Another problem, with which the Commission was confronted when attempting to provide a more
detailedresponseisthatMemberStateshaveadoptedvariousmodesandfrequenciesforreportingtherelevantinformation.Inoneparticularexample,thenumbersoffishermenandamountsofcompensationpaidwerereportedonamonthlybasis,withnopossibilityfortheCommissiontodeterminewhetherthe
sameordifferentfishermenhadbenefitedfromthismeasureallalongtherelevantperiod.
OnthebasisoftheinformationprovidedbytheMemberStatespursuanttothisRegulationandinspiteof
itsoccasionalshortcomings,theCommissioncanneverthelesscompleteitspreviousanswerasfollows:
/dash forBelgium,theexactnumberofvessels(whichgiventheparticularfleetownershippatternappears
to be the same as the number of ship-owners) amounts to 59 and that of fishermen to 323.Thecompensationcoveredtheperiod15February2001to30April2001andwaslinkedtothefallintheNorthSeacodstock;
/dash In the context of the non-renewal of the fisheries agreement with Morocco, compensation for
temporarycessationwasgrantedintheperiod2000-2001to:
/dash 29Portuguesevesselsand706fishermen,/dash 397Spanishvesselsand3588fishermen.
/dash Spainhasfurthergrantedaidinthecontextof‘unforeseeablecircumstances,causedbybiological
factors’. However, the Commission can only inform about the amounts involved: total aidEUR4,672millionofwhichtheFIFGrepresentsEUR2,628million;
/dash in this same context, Portugal has granted aid for temporary cessation of sardine fishing which
benefited69vesselsand899fishermen.AtotalaidofEUR1,105millionwaspaidforthisofwhichtheFIFGrepresentedEUR0,829million;
/dash finally, Spain has granted aid in the context of ‘recovery plan for a resource threatened with
exhaustion’withatotalaidofEUR27,714millionofwhichtheFIFGrepresentsEUR21,261million.
Regardingthepreviousprogrammingperiod(1994-1999)andbasicallyforthesamereasonsasindicated
aboveforthepresentprogrammingperiod,theCommissionisregrettablynotinapositiontocompletetheinformationalreadyprovided.
(1) CouncilRegulation(EC)No2792/1999of17December1999layingdownthedetailedrulesandarrangements
regardingCommunitystructuralassistanceinthefisheriessector.
(2) CommissionRegulation(EC)No366/2001of22February2001,OJL55,24.2.2001.C58E/86 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion