WRITTEN QUESTION E-1058/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 April 2002)

Subject: Support for small-scale fisheries and small-scale coastal fishing

At the European Parliament's instigation a specific initiative to support small-scale fisheries and small-scale coastal fishing was entered in the Community budget (heading B2-909, former heading B2-910). The heading is being phased out and is due to be discontinued in 2003. The European Parliament and, in particular, its Committee on Fisheries have always attached particular importance to this policy aspect and to ensuring that it occupies a prominent position in the budget, in view of its socio-economic importance and the specific problems which it is intended to address. In its resolution of 17 January 2002 on the revision of the common fisheries policy, Parliament called for a specific Community initiative to be devised for the purpose of supporting small-scale fisheries and small-scale coastal fishing. The Commission has also acknowledged the importance of this section of the fishing fleet in its Green Paper on the future of the common fisheries policy, and it argues that such support has been provided under FIFG structural operations.

How much money has actually been spent on each type of project and in each Member State since the start of the current initiative to support small-scale fisheries and small-scale coastal fishing (heading B2-909, former heading B2-910)? What does the Commission think of the parallel support being provided under the FIFG?

How much money has actually been spent (and how has it been divided up) under the FIFG for the purpose of supporting small-scale fisheries and small-scale coastal fishing?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 June 2002)

1. Amount actually spent under the support initiative for small-scale coastal fishing (B2-909) overall, by type of project, and breakdown by Member State.

The total amount actually spent under heading B2-909 is EUR 4 763 000. The breakdown by Member State is given in Table 1.

>TABLE>

2. Amount actually devoted to aid for small-scale coastal fishing and small-scale fisheries under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) and its breakdown.

The FIFG's financial plan for 2000-2006 includes a budget of EUR 50 127 000 for small-scale coastal fishing. The breakdown by Member State is given in Table 2.

>TABLE>

3. Complementarity of small-scale coastal fishing projects (heading B2-909) with those financed by the FIFG.

The specific operation in favour of small-scale coastal fishing was launched as a pilot action on Parliament's initiative in 1997, i.e. during the 1994-1999 programming period, for which the FIFG Regulation contained no specific measures for small-scale coastal fishing.

The Commission, recognising the importance of this particular segment of the European fleet and the difficulties facing it, subsequently included specific measures in support of small-scale coastal fishing in the present 2000-2006 programming.

The amounts and the possibilities offered for small-scale coastal fishing by the FIFG have been greatly enlarged and consist notably of:

- a specific measure for small-scale coastal fishing, for which the Member States have programmed a total amount of EUR 50 127 000 (see Table 2);

- access to measures not specifically intended for small-scale coastal fishing but from which it can benefit such as fleet renewal, fishing vessel modernisation, adjustment of fishing effort and also collective projects by professionals and socio-economic measures;

- lastly the fleet renewal rules are relaxed for small-scale coastal fishing.

The Commission is about to evaluate the small-scale coastal fishing initiative. Its conclusions will be subsumed into a comprehensive review exercise on the future of the structural policy for fisheries after 2006.