WRITTEN QUESTION P-3102/00

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(26 September 2000)

Subject: EC-Greenland fisheries agreement

On 14 September 2000 the Commission concluded the negotiations on a new fisheries agreement with Greenland, which provides for an annual EU contribution of 42,82 million for the period 2000-2006. The agreement, which has not yet been adopted by the Council, makes no provision for separating the two categories of funding, one for fishing rights and one for development aid, even though the Commission itself gave an undertaking that the agreement would differentiate between the two, with 28 million of the total corresponding to fishing rights and the remainder going to development aid, according to the Commission's unilateral declaration.

One controversial aspect of the current agreement with Greenland is the low level of utilisation of the quotas allocated to the EU and the fact that a number of fleets from countries which have shown an interest in exploiting these resources are prevented from doing so by the distribution of quotas, which favours certain countries that do not in fact use their quota. It would seem fairer if these fishing possibilities acquired with Community money could be used by interested fleets which are presently barred from access to the fishing grounds concerned.

Debate would also focus on the lack of exploratory fishing to search for new resources and new fishing possibilities, and the failure to require shipowners benefiting from the agreement to contribute to its cost, as is the case with most of the other agreements signed by the Community.

What is the Commission's assessment of the implementation, development and utilisation of the third protocol, which will expire on 31 December?

Has the Commission inserted any provisions in the new text establishing the principle of co-financing in the form of a fee to be paid by Community shipowners benefiting from the agreement? If not, how does the Commission justify this discriminatory treatment?

Does the text of the new agreement make provision for more exploratory fishing? With a view to the greatest possible use of fishing opportunities, has the Commission asked for a mechanism to be included for the distribution of unused fishing possibilities?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 October 2000)

A Commission staff working document giving a technical evaluation of the Community-Greenland fisheries agreement is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.

The Fourth Protocol makes reference to experimental fisheries (article 9) with an undertaking by both parties to promote them and with specific mention of deep sea species, snow crab and squid.

The internal distribution amongst Member States of fishing possibilities under a fisheries agreement is not the subject of negotiations with the third country, but an internal matter to be resolved within the Community.

On the issue of distribution of fishing possibilities, the Commission and the Council made the following declaration in the context of the debate on the Greenland Fourth Protocol negotiating directives: The Council and the Commission will consider possible improvements of the utilisation of fishing possibilities, without prejudice to the principle of relative stability. With due regard to the requirements of sustainable fisheries and within the framework of the principle of relative stability, they invite the Member States concerned to envisage the possibility of transfer of non- or under-utilised quotas to other Member States.