WRITTEN QUESTION E-0123/02

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(29 January 2002)

Subject: The Commission and international fisheries agreements

The Community fisheries sector is gradually losing its fishing opportunities in third country waters, something which shipowners and fishermen attribute to the Commission's weak stance and failure to devote sufficient attention to this matter, as well as the breakdown of various negotiations in regional fisheries organisations.

Furthermore, at the Valentin Paz-Andrade Fisheries Forum on 5 December 2001, an official from the Directorate-General for Fisheries said that the idea some shipowners have of commercial fisheries agreements is outmoded.

What are the Commission's views on international fisheries agreements? Does it not agree with the conclusions of the Fisheries Council of 30 October 1997 in Luxembourg, which enshrined the principle that fisheries agreements with third countries should be commercial agreements? Will the Commission ease the fears of this sector by striving to renew existing agreements and seek out new fishing opportunities for the Community fleet?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(21 February 2002)

The Commission's analysis of Community external relations in the fisheries sector is set out in its Green Paper on the future of the common fisheries policy(1). Briefly, as the recent negotiations seem to confirm, the Commission feels that after 25 years the practice of buying fishing rights for Community vessels to fish in third-country waters has run its course.

Wishing nevertheless to defend Community interests, the Commission proposes that the Community should instead participate in a political, institutional, legal, economic and social process through which it can both tangibly contribute towards establishing sustainable fishing in the waters of certain coastal states and develop, in partnership with those countries' authorities, a medium- or long-term strategy based on shared and mutual benefit. Without forgetting the economic dimension of these future relations, the role and tasks of each interested party should be focused on forming partnerships at the appropriate level (national and/or regional) and establishing the instruments and conditions within which the Community and its partners intend to continue their medium- and long-term relations in the fisheries sector with a view to sustainability.

The October 1997 Council conclusions still constitute the reference framework for the Community's external activities in the fisheries sector. If a change in policy were accepted, however, the Commission considers that those conclusions would have to be revised. This is all the more important because all the interested parties within the Community and among our partners need to be informed very accurately about the Community's political intentions on this issue.

The current discussion does not affect the Commission's use of its resources to revise existing agreements which are expiring or to look for new fishing opportunities. But in view of the growing difficulties which the negotiators have recently encountered it seems increasingly advisable to review the Community's objectives, practices and activities. The Commission will shortly present a series of initiatives to meet the new challenges of distant-water fishing.

(1) COM(2001) 135 final.