WRITTEN QUESTION E-1377/01

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 May 2001)

Subject: Regional fisheries organisations

Can the Commission give a rational explanation for the continuing protracted delay in the transposition of rules required to enable the Community to fulfil the obligations incumbent on it because it belongs to particular regional fisheries organisations (RFOs) and specifically, to name just some examples, to APICD (the failure to comply with the international agreement concerned resulted in an embargo) and the CCAMLR, whose 1999 measures have still not entered into force? Furthermore, as far as ICCAT is concerned, although it is a leading contracting party, the Commission may not meet the deadline laid down by the Working Group on Allocation Criteria requiring it to submit a discussion document by 21 April, as agreed at ICCAT's 12th extraordinary meeting.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 July 2001)

The Commission is aware of the growing importance to the Community of multilateral management of maritime fisheries, and it shares the Honourable Member's wish that the binding recommendations adopted by the regional fisheries organisations (RFOs) to which the Commission is a contracting party should be incorporated into Community law as soon as possible. Since 1999 the Commission has undertaken extensive work drafting and proposing Council regulations to implement them.

For example, on 16 December 1999 Council Regulation (EC) No 2791/1999 laying down certain control measures applicable in the area covered by the Convention on future multilateral cooperation in the north-east Atlantic fisheries(1) incorporated into Community law the control scheme adopted by the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), and numerous proposals have since been tabled at the Council and presented to Parliament for opinion.

With regard to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), two Regulations were proposed: the first on technical measures for highly migratory species(2) (adopted at the Council meeting (fisheries) on 25 April 2001) and the second on control measures for highly migratory species(3) (currently being examined by the Council Working Party on External Fisheries Policy). Both Regulations cover not only the ICCAT rules, but also those of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

Regarding the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme (AIDCP), the Commission is aware of certain Member States' concern about implementing its tuna monitoring system. The proposal for a Council Regulation adopted by the Commission will shortly be presented to the Council and to Parliament.

The Council also adopted an implementing proposal on the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Maríne Living Resources (CCAMLR), relating to the scheme for documenting catches of Dissosticchus species (toothfish). A further two proposals are currently being prepared within the Commission, one on technical measures and one on control measures applicable in the area covered by the CCAMLR Convention. Moreover, the total allowable

catches (TACs) and the main technical measures adopted by the CCAMLR for the 2000/2001 season have already been incorporated into legislation through Council Regulation (EC) No 2848/2000 of 15 December 2000 fixing for 2001 fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, waters where limitations in catch are required(4).

The Honourable Member also asks about the Community's position vis-à-vis the 21-23 May 2001 meeting of the ICCAT Working Party on Allocation Criteria. At its meeting on 25 April the Council adopted a common position(5), on the basis of which the Community will make a constructive contribution to the discussion at the ICCAT Working Party.

(1) OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.

(2) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000.

(3) OJ C 62 E, 27.2.2001.

(4) OJ L 334, 30.12.2000.

(5) SN 2545/01 (Fisheries).