WRITTEN QUESTION E-2329/00

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 July 2000)

Subject: CFP

Why does the common fisheries policy not apply to the same extent in the Baltic as in the North Sea, and scarcely at all in the Mediterranean?

Given the enlargement process, can the Commission guarantee that acceding countries will be subject to the principle of historic access to the North Sea? If not, how many vessels may begin to fish in those waters?

To what extent will 1. The Black Sea, 2. The Southern and Eastern Mediterranean and 3. The Eastern Baltic be subject to (a) the six and twelve mile limits, and (b), quotas?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 2000)

The Commission would point out that, in principle, the common fisheries policy (CFP) applies to the same extent in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. It should however be borne in mind that the global fishing conditions for these two regions are different: firstly, because the Baltic Sea, unlike the North Sea, is subject to a regional fisheries organization of which the Community is a member, the International Baltic Sea fishery commission (IBSFC); secondly, because the Baltic Sea has no international waters and borders a number of coastal states which are not Member States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia). In respect of some of these coastal states, certain fishing conditions are regulated by bilateral fisheries agreements with the Community.

The fact that the CFP does not fully apply to the Mediterranean is due to certain particular characteristics of the area and its marine fisheries. The territorial waters of the coastal Member States have remained limited and, unlike the Baltic Sea, the majority of the surface area of the Mediterranean falls under the category of international waters which are subject to international management. This means that, unlike the Baltic Sea, the majority of the surface area of the Mediterranean falls under the category of international waters which are subject to international management. There is also a high diversity of species, a large number of small vessels, landing in a multitude of large and small fishing ports and practically all fish caught in the Mediterranean are intended for human consumption.

Concerning the enlargement process and access to the North Sea, all candidate countries have declared they accept the acquis communautaire of which the principle of relative stability forms part. Under this principle, Member States can only have access to fisheries resources if they have a record of fishing for the stocks concerned, on the basis of recognised rights. Unlike the situation in the Baltic Sea, none of the candidate countries can present such a record for the North Sea.

With regard to the extent to which the Black Sea, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean and the Eastern Baltic Sea will be subject to the six and twelve mile limits, it should be noted that the determination of the above maritime boundaries falls within the competence of the coastal states concerned and not of the Community. As for quotas, the Eastern Baltic Sea is already subject to quotas. With the exception of the bluefin tuna fishery, the total allowable catch (TAC) and quota system does not apply in the Mediterranean, even at the national level, since a single species approach is considered difficult to apply to the multi-species fisheries present there. This situation is not likely to change in the near future, except perhaps for the swordfish fishery. The introduction of quotas for the Black Sea, where Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey are coastal states, might have to be decided after a thorough examination of the specificities of the Black Sea and the international law applying to that area.