WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2223/96 by Marie-Paule KESTELIJN- SIERENS to the Commission. Community rules for the protection of territorial waters
Date: 1996-08-09
Institutions: European Parliament, KESTELIJN-SIERENS
Subjects: Belgium, fishery management, fishing controls, national law, territorial waters













EUR-Lex - 91996E2223 - EN






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91996E2223

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2223/96 by Marie-Paule KESTELIJN- SIERENS to the Commission. Community rules for the protection of territorial waters  


Official Journal C 072 , 07/03/1997 P. 0018 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2223/96 by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens (ELDR) to the Commission (9 August 1996)Subject: Community rules for the protection of territorial watersHaving regard to the Royal Decree of the kingdom of Belgium of 21 June 1994 establishing fishing licences and containing temporary measures to implement the Community rules for the conservation and management of fishery stocks (Article 19);Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 ((OJ L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1. )) of 20 December 1992 establishing a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture, and with particular reference to Article 6(2) and Annex I thereof;Whereas by letter of 18 January 1995 the European Commission expressed the opinion that the special fishery rights of subjects of other Member States within Belgian coastal waters are determined by the direct applicability of the provisions of Article 6(2) in connection with Annex 1 of Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 of 20 December 1992;Whereas by letter of 24 March 1995 the European Commission invited Belgium to take appropriated measures to repeal Article 19(3) of the Royal Decree of 21 June 1994 within a period of one month;Having regard to the Royal Decree of 4 May 1995 amending Royal Decree of 21 June 1994 establishing fishing licences and containing temporary measures to implement the Community rules for the conservation and management of fishery stocks which repeals Article 19(3) of the Royal Decree of 21 June 1994;What action does the Commission intend taking to guarantee compliance with the abovementioned Regulation, given that fishery vessels of other Member states are still fishing in Belgian coastal waters and hence there are evident shortcomings in compliance with the Regulation?Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (17 October 1996)In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) n° 3760/92, vessels from other Member States are authorized to conduct fishing activities within the coastal waters of Belgium.Competence to inspect these vessels lies exclusively with the national control authorities which have to ensure that all vessels fishing in national waters comply with the relevant conservation and management measures.The national control activities of all Member States including Belgium are monitored by the Commission through inspection mission by its fisheries inspection service. An assessment of the effectiveness and the range of resources deployed for control tasks is made each year for each Member State. In relation to 1994, the Commission found no evidence that non-Belgian vessels were not being inspected nor any indication that this category of vessels did not comply with the relevant rules ((Monitoring the Common Fisheries Policy COM(96) 100 final. )). If information is provided which suggests that inspection and monitoring is less than adequate, the Commission will investigate the matter.