WRITTEN QUESTION E-1463/99 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Canadian Fisheries Act C-27.
Date: 1999-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Canada, EU action, EU relations, extra-territoriality, fishing agreement, fishing area, international law, legal rule, settlement of disputes

20.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 170 E/19

Council Directive 91/0671/EEC of 16 December 1991 on the approximation of the laws of the
8.
Member States relating to compulsory use of safety belts in vehicles of less than 3,5 tonnes (11) makes the
wearing of seat belts compulsory on front and back seats of vehicles. There is no standard speed limit on
European roads.

(1) OJ L 370, 31.12.1985.
(2) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991.
(3) OJ L 46, 17.2.1997.
(4) OJ L 57, 2.3.1992.
(5) OJ L 373, 31.12.1991.
(6) OJ L 319, 12.12.1994.
(7) OJ L 299, 10.11.1998.
(8) OJ L 76, 6.4.1970.
(9) OJ L 286, 23.10.1998.
(10) OJ L 46, 17.2.1997.
(11) OJ L 373, 31.12.1991.

(2000/C 170 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1463/99

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

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Canadian Fisheries Act C-27

The Commission has acknowledged that the Canadian Fisheries Act C-27 is inconsistent with international
law. It has not been amended during its passage through Parliament, as called for by the EU on many
occasions, and the recent EU-Canada Summit in June 1999 failed to make any progress on this serious
issue, with the result that the extraterritorial aspects of Canadian fisheries legislation, which were described
by the Commission in its answer to my previous question, prior to the Summit (E-0942/99) (1) as being
(cid:145)a matter of grave concern for the Community(cid:146), remain.

Can the Commission say what fresh action it will take in response to Canada(cid:146)s lack of will to resolve this
serious dispute which will hinder the smooth progress of EU-Canada relations until it is settled?

(1) OJ C 348, 3.12.1999, p. 145.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 October 1999)

Community concerns about the Canadian legislation enabling Canada to implement the 1995 United
Nations (UN) agreement on straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks (Bill C-27) have made
this one of the most important topics between the Community and Canada. This led to increased contacts
with the Canadian side at both expert and political levels in the wake of the Community-Canada summit
in June 1999. In the course of this process, substantial progress has been made. Canada submitted written
statements which clarify the respective scopes of the extra-territorial legislation of 1994 and the newly
enacted legislation and which confirm that the terms of the new legislation are intended to be fully
consistent with the terms of the UN agreement and will be applied accordingly. As these statements meet
Community concerns in a satisfactory manner, the most sensitive political issues can be brought to a close.
The Commission, therefore, issued Canada with a note verbale on 30 September 1999 setting out the
Community(cid:146)s understanding of these political issues and reserving the Community(cid:146)s position on certain
other extra-territorial aspects of Canadian fisheries legislation. In the latter context, it may be necessary to
address some outstanding legal matters of a more technical nature once the Commission(cid:146)s analysis of the
subordinate Canadian implementing regulations has been completed. To this end, Commission and
Canadian experts will meet soon.