WRITTEN QUESTION P-2044/00 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Negotiation of the EU-Greenland fisheries agreement.
Date: 2000-06-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greenland, Portugal, authorised catch, catch quota, fishing agreement, fishing regulations, fishing rights, negotiation of an agreement (EU)

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/59

This state of affairs needs to be juxtaposed to the unfair treatment of Portugal, in the context of the
conclusions of the Fisheries Council of 30 October 1997 concerning flexibility arrangements in the
implementation of fisheries agreements and, in particular, the possibility of temporarily transferring unused
quotas from one Member State to another that has the real capacity to take them up.

Given that the current fisheries agreement will expire at the end of this year and that the intention exists
to renew it, can the Commission:

(cid:129) state whether it intends to propose that the Portuguese fleet should have access to Greenland(cid:146)s waters,
a measure which would presuppose the revision of the distribution of quotas between Member States,
taking account of Portugal(cid:146)s historic rights in those waters and of the practical application of the
flexibility principle;

(cid:129) provide information as to whether the Portuguese government has submitted a formal request to

access to a fisheries quota under this agreement;

(cid:129) state when it intends to submit a proposal for consideration by the Council?

(2001/C 113 E/055)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2044/00

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Negotiation of the EU-Greenland fisheries agreement

(16 June 2000)

The Portuguese deep-sea fishing fleet has suffered substantial cuts since the early 1990s: of the 52 factory
vessels which made up the fleet in 1990, only 14 remain today. This is essentially the result of the absence
of the quotas which should have been applied to ensure the profitability of this section of the fleet, with all
that that involves for job creation, supplies to the processing industry and the fisheries-dependent regions.
Today Portugal imports approximately PTE 150 billion(cid:146)s worth of fish. Since the minimum quota to ensure
the profitability of a factory vessel is approximately 2 000 tonnes of fish per annum, and given that
Portugal has a quota of 16 000 tonnes (NAFO, Irminger Sea, Norway and Svalbard), it may be concluded
that a deficit of 12 000 tonnes has to be made good if the existing fleet is to be rendered viable.

Portuguese fleets have fished in Greenland(cid:146)s waters since the 1930s. However, following accession to the
EU the situation was altered by the EU-Greenland fisheries agreement signed in 1985. This agreement,
which is the second most costly of all, provides for catch possibilities of up to 140 000 tonnes, of which
112 000 (or 80 %) are allocated to Germany, with the remainder distributed between the UK, Denmark and
France. This appears particularly unsatisfactory considering that Germany does not have the capacity to
utilise its quota and its take-up rate under the agreement is in the region of 12 %. This state of affairs
allows Greenland to resell the unused quota to third countries.

In view of the process for the renegotiation of this agreement, which is due to finish at the end of 2000,
and the various decisions of the Fisheries Council since 30 October 1997 concerning the introduction of
provisions to permit the transfer of catch possibilities from one Member State to another in case of under-
use, will the Commission give consideration to altering the distribution of catch possibilities under this
agreement with a view to ensuring full take-up of the quotas and improving the cost-efficiency ratio? In
the case of the Portuguese fleet, will the Commission give consideration to guaranteeing Portugal a quota
which would ensure the survival of its deep-sea fishery? Can the Commission state what the present state
of progress is on the negotiations?

Joint answer
to Written Questions P-2042/00 and P-2044/00
given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(10 July 2000)

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.

C 113 E/60

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

In general terms, the Commission is of the opinion that available catch quotas in third country waters
under a fisheries agreement must be utilised in a rational and optimal manner and that appropriate
mechanisms making transfers of unused or under-utilised catch quotas to other interested Member States
should be designed without prejudice to the principle of relative stability.

The Court of Justice ruled, in its judgement given on 13 October 1992 (1) that, under the principle of
(cid:145)relative stability(cid:146), under-utilisation alone offers no valid motive for a re-allocation of the catch quotas
concerned to other interested Member States. Furthermore, the Court declared that, by accepting the
(cid:145)acquis communautaire(cid:146) pursuant to the relevant provisions of the 1985 Act of Accession, Portugal was
barred from invoking earlier traditions of fishing in Greenland waters as a motive to obtain a re-
distribution of catch quotas allocated in accordance with the principle of (cid:145)relative stability(cid:146).

The Commission is aware of a continued wish by the Portuguese administration to bring about a re-
distribution of catch quotas in Greenland waters. However, no formal request has been received in the
recent past.

As the 1985 Community-Greenland fisheries agreement will not expire, forthcoming negotiations will
concentrate on a fourth fisheries protocol covering the years 2001-2006. The Commission expects to
submit within the next few weeks a recommendation for a Council decision authorising the opening of
negotiations for a fourth fisheries protocol. The Commission will, in due course, following the conclusion
of these negotiations submit a proposal to the Council for the approval of the intended fourth protocol.

(1) Case C-63/90, Portugal v. Council.

(2001/C 113 E/056)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2059/00

by Elisa Damiªo (PSE) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Workplace accidents

Despite the evolution of legislation in the EU in the direction of greater workplace protection and safety, in
particular in the construction and processing sectors, the numbers of accidents and mortal falls have
actually increased.

Legislation is clearly not enough: we have to find out whether measures proposed are suitable and whether
they are being implemented.

Can the Commission state what data exist on workplace accidents and illnesses, and provide information
on its assessment of the work of the national inspection and administration bodies?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 2000)

The Commission fully shares the Honourable Member(cid:146)s conviction that it is not enough to adopt and
transpose Community directives on health and safety at work; rather, what counts is that they be enforced
in practice.

legislation
The whole drift of
transposing the directives is enforced on the ground, resulting in a genuine reduction in the number of
accidents at work and occupational diseases.

the Commission(cid:146)s policy in this area is to ensure that

the national

In this regard, the Commission, already in its last programme on safety and health at work (1996-2000) (1),
adopted measures to evaluate the impact of the legislation in force.