WRITTEN QUESTION E-2767/00 by John McCartin (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Habitats Directive and monitoring of by-catches of fishing vessels.
Date: 2000-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: biotope, by-catch, environmental protection, fishing controls, marine environment, marine mammal, protection of animals

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/89

(2001/C 136 E/101)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2767/00

by John McCartin (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Habitats Directive and monitoring of by-catches of fishing vessels

Can the Commission state how many countries have established, under the Habitats Directive, a system to
monitor the incidental capture and killing of cetaceans (by-catches of fishing vessels) and have taken action
to ensure that such incidental capture does not have a significant negative impact upon the species
concerned?

What impact has the commitment made by the EU countries under the Bonn agreement (Ascobans) made
on the reduction of by-catches, and what assessment of by-catches by pelagic trawlers is being made by EU
Member States?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(16 October 2000)

Within the (cid:145)Habitats Directive(cid:146), Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992, on the conservation of
natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1), it is made clear that Member States should implement the
requirements of Articles 11 and 12.4 dealing with the surveillance and monitoring of fishing activities
associated with by-catches of cetaceans. It is the legal responsibility of the Member States to implement
these rules and to ensure compliance with them.

Moreover, Member States should draw up a report on the implementation of the measures taken under
this Directive where, among other things, mention should be made of the main results of the surveillance
referred to in Article 11. These reports should be transmitted to the Commission in the coming months
and therefore the Commission is not yet in a position to state how many Member States have complied
with the terms of Articles 11 and 12.4.

The Community is not yet a contracting party of the Ascobans Agreement on the conservation of small
cetaceans of the Baltic and the North Sea. Member States that are party to this agreement do not have an
obligation to report to the Commission on the measures taken under Ascobans commitments. As a
consequence, the Commission is not aware of such measures.

The Commission is however aware of the initiative taken by Denmark to implement an action plan for
reducing incidental by-catches of harbour porpoises (19. August 1998, J. Nr. SN 1996-402-0035).

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2001/C 136 E/102)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2769/00

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Air accidents

Yesterday(cid:146)s Concorde aircraft air accident in Paris highlights the fact that in recent years we have been
continuing to see a large number of air accidents, usually involving many deaths. A recent issue of the
Financial Times made the point, with reference to a Boeing 737-200 flight in India, that many air
accidents are chiefly due to the aircraft(cid:146)s age. In view of the high frequency of air accidents and the fact
that most air companies(cid:146) fleets in many Member States are composed of Boeing 737-200 aircraft, and the
high degree of unease over the safety of flights, can the Commission say how it intends to intervene to
bring about more effective and stricter aircraft safety measures, such as withdrawal on grounds of age, as is
the case for ships in sea transportation, or fleet replacement and rigorous maintenance, something which is
often given low priority because of cost-cutting efforts and competition?