WRITTEN QUESTION E-0216/96 by Undine-Uta Bloch von Blottnitz (V) to the Council (12 February 1996)

Subject: Drift nets

Last year, the Council took a final decision on permitting the use of drift nets of up to 2,5 km in length. In so doing, it disregarded decisions taken by Parliament and the Commission's proposals. In practice, the Council's decision has not improved the situation in any way. Studies by the Commission have shown that controls on the use of drift nets are weak. Effective monitoring would be expensive. The European rules are consequently not a suitable basis for achieving the desired objective. To date, only Spain and Portugal have adopted more stringent national rules, which totally prohibit the use of drift nets in their coastal waters. Nevertheless, the seizure of drifters, mainly from France, is a common occurrence even there.

1. What action does the Council intend to take, given that the EU-wide rules are totally unsatisfactory and monitoring thereof is totally inadequate?

2. Is it considering a further amendment to Council Regulation 3094/86 ((OJ L 288, 11.10.1986, p. 1. )) with the aim of introducing a blanket ban on the use of drift nets by the Community's fishermen? If so, when could such a ban begin?

3. What is it doing to improve controls on the improper use of drift nets by the Community's fishermen?

4. Does it agree that acceptance of the European institutions as policy-making bodies is weakened when Commission proposals and Parliament's decisions are so blatantly disregarded and regulations and directives are impracticable and constantly flouted because they do not provide for adequate monitoring?

Reply (1 July 1996)

1. It will be recalled that the legislation in force on the use of large-scale drift nets was adopted by the Council in 1992 ((OJ No L 42, 18.2.1992, p. 15. )) and limits the length of such nets to 2,5 km. The Commission presented a proposal to the Council to amend the current legislation in 1994 ((Council document 5971/94 PECHE 76 - OJ No C 118, 29.4.1994. )). This proposal is still before the Council; no decision has been taken as yet.

2. The Council recalls that control and monitoring of Community legislation in the fisheries domain is carried out by Member States in close cooperation with the inspection services of the Commission.

3. Last year, in order to avoid skirmishes in Atlantic tuna fisheries such as had occurred in the past, the Council requested Member States to put all the necessary control measures in hand to ensure that the rules in force were complied with in full. The Council also approved the chartering of a vessel by the Commission during the 1995 fishing year in order to enable the Commission inspectors to ensure the effectiveness of Member States' surveillance and to lend a hand to national inspectors.

4. At the December 1995 Council, the incoming Presidency announced it would launch an in-depth debate on the future regulation of drift-net fishery. This debate opened at the Fisheries Council on 22 April 1996.

The Council once again stressed the importance of fully repecting current Community legislation on drift nets. The Council expressed its satisfaction at the success achieved in the enforcement activities to date and welcomed the Commission initiative in pursuing this objective during the coming season, without any increase in the overall fishing effort.

5. The Council would assure the Honourable Member that it is fully aware of the importance of the drift-net issue, and of Parliament's Opinion as an essential element of the Community's legislative process to which continuing debate in the Council bears witness.