WRITTEN QUESTION E-0452/01 by Struan Stevenson (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EU and third-country fisheries agreements.
Date: 2001-02-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: commitment of expenditure, common fisheries policy, conservation of fish stocks, financial compensation of an agreement, fishing agreement, fishing controls, third country

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/119

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(11 April 2001)

The processing aid for tomatoes for the 2000/01 marketing year was calculated in strict compliance with
Articles 3 and 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 of 28 October 1996 on the common
organisation of the markets in processed fruit and vegetable products (1).

No official
information on the price charged in China for the purchase of tomatoes delivered to the
processing industry is available. Moreover the Chinese authorities have provided no information on their
exports of processed tomato products.

The Commission does not intend to amend Commission Regulation (EC) No 1519/2000 of 12 July 2000
setting for the 2000-2001 marketing year the minimum price and the amount of production aid for
processed tomato products (2).

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996.
(2) OJ L 174, 13.7.2000.

(2001/C 261 E/127)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0452/01

by Struan Stevenson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 February 2001)

Subject: EU and third-country fisheries agreements

How many fisheries agreements are currently in force between the EU and third countries on a cash-

1.
for-fish basis?

2. What is the total cost of these agreements?

3. Which Member States benefit from these agreements in terms of access to fishing opportunities?

4. What are the main conservation arrangements applied to each agreement?

5.

How does the EU monitor the effectiveness of these conservation measures?

6.
Does the Commission have a list of privately negotiated and privately funded fisheries agreements
between EU fishermen and third countries? If so, can answers be given to questions 1-5 above with regard
to those private arrangements?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2001)

As at January 2001 the Community had concluded or was negotiating a total of 23 fisheries agreements,
19 of which include financial compensation.

The appropriations committed for fisheries agreements came to € 121,6 million in 2000, given that the
Community was not able to conclude an agreement with Morocco and that the appropriations for the
agreement with Angola (€ 13 975 million) could not be committed in 2000. For the 2001 financial year,
€ 290 499 978 in commitment appropriations have been entered.

All the Member States except Austria and Luxembourg benefit from the fishing rights obtained within the
framework both of fisheries agreements and of regional fisheries organisations. About 2 800 Community
vessels operate entirely or partially in third-country and/or international waters.

C 261 E/120

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

In accordance with the Community(cid:146)s international commitments, the protocol to each fisheries agreement
including as regards areas,
stipulates the conditions governing Community vessels(cid:146) fishing operations,
technical measures and monitoring fisheries activity (catch reporting,
landing requirements, observer
boarding, vessel monitoring system (VMS), etc.).

The Community is not empowered to monitor the implementation of conservation measures in third-
country waters. However, it is subject to a number of obligations with regard to monitoring the activities
of its vessels operating under the agreements as provided for in the agreements(cid:146) terms.

The Commission does not have an exhaustive list containing specific information on existing private
agreements between European shipowners and third countries in the fisheries sector. However, where
those private agreements have resulted in joint enterprises being established and receiving Community aid,
the Commission possesses information in accordance with the requirements stipulated by the correspond-
ing legal bases. But in order to maintain the confidentiality of personal data, the Commission is not
permitted to disclose that information.

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that it has carried out an (cid:145)Assessment of joint
enterprises in the context of structural operations in the fisheries sector(cid:146), a copy of the summary of which
will be sent to him direct and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(2001/C 261 E/128)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0453/01

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 February 2001)

Subject: Longline fishing

Given that longline fishing is carried out by European Fishing vessels in the North Atlantic, that this form
of fishing accounts for tens of thousands of seabird deaths and because of that, these longline fishing
techniques, species of seabirds such as the short-tailed albatross and fulmar are seriously endangered that,
in all, 26 species of seabirds are in danger of extinction, could the Commission outline what measures it
intends to introduce to improve the current situation with regard to longline fishing as part of its wider
fishing regulations to promote (cid:145)seabird-friendly(cid:146) longline fishing?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 2001)

In respect of the dangers to seabirds from longline fishing, whilst no major problems are envisaged for the
fulmar in the North Atlantic, whose large global population (10-12 millions birds) does not place it at risk,
the main concerns regard albatrosses and other species, essentially in the Southern Oceans.

To tackle this problem, the Community has already incorporated the following mitigation measures into
Community legislation (1):

(cid:129) Using bird-scaring line with plastic streamers attached;

(cid:129) Weighting the lines so that they sink faster and pose less risk;

(cid:129) Prohibiting the discharge of offal at sea, which attracts seabirds to the lines;

(cid:129) Setting the longlines at night, when albatrosses and other seabirds are less likely to be foraging;

(cid:129) Using only thawed bait.