WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2972/97 by Robert STURDY to the Commission. Regulation of cormorant populations in the EU
Date: 1997-09-17
Institutions: European Parliament, STURDY
Subjects: Denmark, Netherlands, bird, ecological balance, environmental protection, protection of animal life, sea fish, wildlife

C 117/118

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 4. 98

(98/C 117/149)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2971/97

by Michael Hindley (PSE) to the Commission

(17 September 1997)

Subject: Gulf Cooperation Council Delegation

Given the enormous importance of our trade with the GCC states, does the Commission have any intention to set
up a delegation in the GCC states?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(27 ctober 1997)

The Commission keeps its network of delegations under constant review. The Commission is fully aware of the
growing importance of the relations between the Community and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States. In
this context, the opening of a delegation in Riyadh remains one of the Commission(cid:146)s objectives. However, no
new delegation can be opened without the necessary resources being made available, either by redeployment of
existing resources or by budgetary reinforcement.

(98/C 117/150)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2972/97

by Robert Sturdy (PPE) to the Commission

(17 September 1997)

Subject: Regulation of cormorant populations in the EU

The European Commission has removed the Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis from Annex I to Directive
79/409/EEC (1).  This  decision  has  freed  Member  States  from  taking  special  measures  to  conserve  its  habitat.
Serious  damage  to  fish  stocks  from  growing  inland  cormorant  populations,  highlighted  in  Parliament(cid:146)s
Resolution  B4-0138/96 (2),  will  continue.  Despite  a  now  very  favourable  conservation  status,  the  necessary
national regulation of cormorant populations is still restricted by the conditions governing derogations under the
Bird Conservation Directive.

Mrs  Bjerregaard  told  Mr  Moscovici  on  19  November  1996  that  the  Commission  has  been  monitoring  work,
initiated in Denmark and the Netherlands under the Bonn Convention, on an international management plan for
the species Phalacrocorax carbo.

What action is foreseen to implement such a plan, and will it include measures in respect of the British subspecies
Phalacrocorax carbo carbo?

Should both types of cormorant now be added to Annex II to the Bird Conservation Directive as an urgent interim
measure to reduce further damage to fish stocks by facilitating regulation by Member States, in the interest of
ecological balance (Article 7(4) of the Directive)?

(1)  OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.
(2)  OJ C 65, 4.3.1996, p. 158.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(16 October 1997)

The international management plan for the great cormorant, being prepared at the initiative of Denmark and the
Netherlands,  is  yet  not  complete.  According  to  recommendation  5.3.  adopted  in  the  last  meeting  of  the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on migratory species (Bonn Convention) in April 1997, this work
should be finalized before the end of 1997, and should focus initially on the subspecies phalacrocorax carbo
sinensis.  Management  actions  taken  by  the  Member  States  should  comply  with  the  provisions  of  Directive
79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds (1). In this context, the Commission will continue to encourage
cooperation and solidarity between Member States, particularly within the framework of the (cid:145)ORNIS(cid:146) committee
established under Article 16 of this Directive.