WRITTEN QUESTION E-0687/01

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

(8 March 2001)

Subject: The EU's fisheries industry and its contribution to the reduction of world poverty

In its communication to the Council and Parliament Fisheries and poverty reduction(1), the Commission recognises the major importance of the EU's fisheries industry for the societies of developing countries. The Commission states, in particular: Fish and fisheries are important to developing countries. Fish are reared, caught, sold, processed and consumed and in every step in the process there is economic and social value-added to be seized by the developing countries. A development policy approach to fisheries carries significant potential in fighting poverty. It matters therefore, from a development perspective, how developed and developing countries interact in this sector. The importance of the fishery sector to developing country societies is well documented. More than 150 million poor people in the world depend on the fishery sector. The sector supports jobs in fishing, unloading, processing, distribution as well as the construction and maintenance of vessels. In many countries, catches are part of fundamental food security. In developing countries, an average 19 % of animal protein intake is provided by fish. In a large number of poor countries, where this percentage exceeds 25 %, the contribution to food security and health is crucial.

Can the Commission provide information on the EU's financial contribution to its development cooperation policy over the period 1994-1999 and the forecast contribution for 2000-2006, specifying which funds are to be involved and which agreements are concerned?

Can the Commission provide concrete data on the significant contribution to the EU's development policy, and, therefore, to poverty reduction in the less developed countries, of the EU budget headings devoted to the fisheries sector over the period 1994-1999, as well as the forecast contribution for 2000-2006?

(1) COM(2000) 724, 8 November 2000.

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(14 May 2001)

Given the complexity of the issues related to oceans, seas and fisheries in general, which are addressed as integral part of larger projects by specific projects or programmes it is very difficult to present a precise figure of budget allocated to fisheries development actions. Two documents

complete this information and give detail on the total budget allocated to cooperation in general and for the fisheries sector in particular: European Community External Cooperation Programmes(1) exposes the nature of the Community External Cooperation Programmes with figures on the distribution of Community cooperation by Regions and by sectors within the period 1986-1998. InfoFinance 1999(2) gives information about the sectoral distribution of Community aid under the budget and the European development fund (EDF) within the period 1998-1999.

A very synthetic analysis shows that the fisheries sector received from all cooperation instruments an allocation of 268 million during the period 1986-1998 i.e. an average of 22 million per year (0,3 % of the global allocation of all external cooperation). The Commission cannot provide information on the forecast contribution for the whole period 2000-2006, indeed the breakdown of the Community aid will depend on both Community policy objectives and the requests submitted by the partner developing countries.

In addition to development instruments, part of the Fisheries Agreements with developing countries is intended by the Commission to support the development of their fisheries sectors. For ACP countries the financial share for targeted actions can represent 30 % to 60 % of the total amount of each Fisheries Agreements.

(1) ISBN 92-828-8666-2.

(2) ISSN 1012-2184.