WRITTEN QUESTION E-0753/02

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

(19 March 2002)

Subject: EU accession to the IATTC

At its 63rd meeting held in Guayaquil (Ecuador) from 8 to 10 June 1999 the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission noted the interest expressed by the EU in becoming a party to the Convention for the Establishment of an Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission and, with a view to making this possible, reached agreement on a protocol amending the 1949 convention. The protocol's entry into force, which will enable the EU to become a party to the convention, is subject to ratification by all the parties to the convention, who expressed a willingness to take the necessary steps to ensure that the internal ratification procedures were completed as soon as possible.

To date, only seven (Ecuador, United States, Nicaragua, Mexico, Panama, France and Vanuatu) of the twelve contracting parties have signed the protocol, and none of them have ratified it.

This situation, which is preventing the EU from acceding to the convention, is severely damaging the interests of the Community tuna fishing fleet in the eastern Pacific, given that it is unable to operate freely as it has a right to do in the area, and is being discriminated against in that it is obliged to comply with all IATTC resolutions without being able to discuss or object to them.

Can the Commission provide details of the factors and countries that are continuing to prevent the EU from acceding to the convention, despite the fact that its application dates back to 8 June 1999?

What steps has it taken or does it intend to take to speed up the EU's accession to the convention?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(24 April 2002)

The Commission very much shares the concern expressed by the Honourable Member regarding the unsatisfactory progress registered to date in relation to the Community's accession to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). Community tuna vessels have been operating for many years now in the Pacific area under the competence of this Regional Fisheries Organisation (RFO). Community vessels have been fully respecting all the conservation measures put in place by the RFO, even though the Community does not have the full benefits of membership, and notably, the right to participate in the decision-making of the organisation.

Nearly three years have elapsed since IATTC Parties agreed, through the 1999 Guayaquil Protocol, to permit the Community to adhere to the organisation. However, although a number of Parties have signed the Protocol, the ratification procedures have been very slow. These Parties invoke the difficult and slow internal legislation processes within their countries, in order to explain their lack of ratification of the Protocol.

In official meetings of this Organisation, the Commission has constantly raised this issue, underlining that IATTC Parties should accelerate their ratification procedures, in order that the Community can exercise fully its rights and responsibilities as a Party, and not as an observer, to IATTC. The Commission, in addition to the above mentioned official interventions during the IATTC meetings, has also sent a Note Verbale in late December 2001 to all the IATTC Parties requesting information on the state of progress of their internal ratification procedures, and calling on them to finalise quickly these processes.