WRITTEN QUESTION E-3126/00 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission. Death of seabirds.
Date: 2000-10-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, by-catch, environmental impact, marine environment, protection of animal life, sea fishing

C 136 E/190

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

The implementation and application of Community law is of great importance to the Commission.
Measures have been taken on a number of occasions, in accordance with Articles 2(2) and 22 of the
Directive, and the Commission has, as provided by the Directive, fulfilled its obligations as regards the
assessment of those measures.

A directive in this area at Community level could only be considered if the establishment and functioning
of the internal market called for the approximation of the provisions currently applied by the Member
States in this field. The Commission is not aware of any circumstances calling for such action, but would
be interested in any further information that could be supplied.

(1) OJ L 298, 17.10.1989.
(2) OJ L 202, 30.7.1997.
(3) OJ L 270, 7.10.1998.

(2001/C 136 E/221)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3126/00

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Subject: Death of seabirds

Does the Commission agree with the claim made by some environmental organisations that more than
250 000 seabirds are being killed annually by swallowing baited fish hooks set on long line fishing vessels?

What estimate has the Commission made of the number of birds killed annually by this means in
European waters?

Is the Commission taking steps to try and reduce the number of deaths?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(10 November 2000)

The Commission is certainly aware of this issue, given the world-wide dimension of the Community(cid:146)s
fisheries sector. However, it cannot judge the accuracy of the figure mentioned by the Honourable Member
without more precise information on the species affected, the seas where the incidental catches occur, the
type of fisheries involved and, finally, the accuracy of the sources of the claim.

The Commission is not aware that incidental catches of seabirds in longline fisheries within Community
waters constitute a problem. Most of the concerns expressed to it have referred to the incidental catches of
albatrosses in the Southern Hemisphere (oceans).

The Commission works to ensure that special priority is attached to the conservation of the marine
environment and of non-commercial species. Member States also play a critical role in the definition and
implementation of both environmental and fisheries(cid:146) measures.

The Birds Directive (1) provides a strong legal framework to protect seabirds within the Community.

Recent initiatives to address this problem are: Council Regulation (EC) No 66/98, of 18 December 1997,
which lays down certain conservation and control measures applicable in the Antarctic zone (2), aimed at

8.5.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/191

diminishing the incidental catches provoked by longline fisheries; and the adoption at the Food and
agriculture organisation (FAO), in 1999, of the international plan of action (IPOA) for reducing incidental
catch of seabirds in longline fisheries. This plan concerns all States. The Community will present a
Community action plan for seabirds at the next FAO committee of fisheries (COFI), in February 2001.

(1) Council Direcitve 79/409/EC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of the wild birds (OJ L 103, 25.4.1979).
(2) OJ L 6, 10.1.1998.

(2001/C 136 E/222)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3128/00

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Subject: US funding of European federalism

There have been newspaper articles stating that leading figures in the cause of European integration were
funded in their activities through the American Committee for a United Europe, a front for United States
intelligence services.

Such confirm the reports that during the 1975 EEC Referendum in the United Kingdom, disaffected CIA
operatives alerted the leadership of the (cid:145)No(cid:146) campaign that their colleagues were actively involved in the
other camp.

Given that the European Parliament has voiced its concern over Echelon, what is the Council(cid:146)s opinion on
this?

Does the Commission have on file pertinent documents relating to this matter? What is their classification?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(27 October 2000)

As the Honourable Member knows, the whole Echelon context is at present under review in Parliament(cid:146)s
temporary committee created for that purpose. The Commission participates in the committee and
contributes its own findings wherever possible.

As far as the precise questions of the Honourable Member are concerned, the Commission has no
knowledge or documents relating to this matter.

(2001/C 136 E/223)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3129/00

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Subject: Ritual slaughter at Eid-el-Kabir festival

For several years, animal protection societies have produced reports and films showing widespread
in France of Council Directive 93/119/EC (1) on the
breaches during the annual Eid-el-Kabir festival
protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing. The Directive is regularly broken in two separate
ways. Firstly, many sheep are ritually slaughtered outdoors; outdoor ritual slaughter is prohibited by the
Directive. Secondly, many of the animals are roughly, even brutally, treated while being carried or dragged
to the slaughter point, while awaiting slaughter and during the act of slaughter itself, which is often carried
out by untrained personnel who in many cases hack and saw at the animals(cid:146) throats often with blunt or
unduly small knives. Despite French claims to have reduced the problem at this year(cid:146)s festival, a huge
number of sheep were slaughtered in breach of the Directive at the festival in March 2000.