WRITTEN QUESTION E-2459/01 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Involvement of Spanish and Portuguese scientists in researching the state of fishery resources in Community waters.
Date: 2001-09-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Portugal, Spain, fisheries policy, fishery research, scientific committee (EU)

C 93 E/134

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

(2002/C 93 E/159)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2446/01

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(11 September 2001)

Subject: Gran Paradiso and Vanoise parks

In the Alpine area, straggling the Valle d’Osta, Piedmont and Savoie regions, is the largest protected area in
Western Europe, linking up the Italian national park of Gran Paradiso (the first in Italy, set up in 1922)
and the French national park of Vanoise, the first French national park, opened in 1963. A twinning
relationship and cooperation have developed since 1972 between the two parks, which have absolutely
identical flora and fauna, similar territorial problems within an identical mountain environment. However,
what is lacking is a European legal framework which would make it possible to envisage the establishment
of a fully-fledged European park, with due respect not just for environmental requirements, but also for the
principle of subsidiarity and the rights of the local populations.

What existing or future instruments could, in the Commission’s view, be used to create a single Gran
Paradiso 5 Vanoise protected area?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(26 October 2001)

The Commission believes that Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of
natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1) provides, through the establishment of a coherent European
ecological network of special areas of conservation, the Natura 2000 network, for the kind of common
approach to nature conservation which the Honourable Member feels is needed. The same obligations
concerning management of the area from the point of view of nature conservation apply to both sides of
the border.

However, even if the Commission supports cross-border cooperation between the management structures
of the two nature parks, it cannot, under the EC Treaty, establish a legal framework for supranational land
management structures of the kind suggested by the Honourable Member. The Interreg programme is
available to support cross-border cooperation and can be used to provide Community financing for the
development of a common management approach between contiguous nature parks located in different
Member States.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.

(2002/C 93 E/160)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2459/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 September 2001)

Subject: Involvement of Spanish and Portuguese scientists in researching the state of fishery resources in

Community waters

Galician shipowners and fishermen frequently query the scientific information used by the Commission in
relation to the state of
fishery resources in Community waters, complaining that no Spanish and
Portuguese scientists and experts are involved. Is this true? If so, why are these scientists excluded?

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/135

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(18 October 2001)

Both in the Commission’s own scientific bodies (such as the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee
on Fisheries (STECF)) and in the scientific committees of the regional fisheries organisations in which the
Community is represented, the participation of Community scientists always includes scientists of all
Member States with an interest in the resources in question.

In fact, in all scientific bodies, Member States are usually very well represented and Spain and Portugal are
extremely active participants.

Consequently, there is not the slightest reason to assert that Portuguese and Spanish scientists are excluded
from Community and international scientific fisheries organisations.

(2002/C 93 E/161)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2462/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 September 2001)

Subject: Extinction of languages world-wide

Various studies indicate that if the present rate of language death continues, over half the current 6 800
languages spoken worldwide will have disappeared by the year 2100, a figure which exceeds the forecast
loss of plant species. What is the European Union doing to help prevent or palliate this disastrous cultural
impoverishment, not only of the peoples concerned but of all human remedy?

(2002/C 93 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2464/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 September 2001)

Subject: France’s other languages

All European citizens should demand 5 like those within the Spanish State who for social and family
purposes use a language other than the one deemed official 5 that those Member States which at present
continue to practise discriminatory policies with regard to languages spoken by full citizens should amend
such unambiguously anti-democratic behaviour and recognise the full official nature of these languages in
the internal regions concerned, providing support for their use. Such demands particularly affect France.
What action is the Commission taking in this respect vis-à-vis the French Government?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2462/01 and E-2464/01
given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Article 151 (ex article 128) of the EC Treaty affirms the importance of the Member States’ cultural diversity,
emphasising that this diversity is the common heritage of all Europeans.

The joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe to declare 2001 the European Year
of Languages (on the basis of Articles 149 and 150 (ex articles 126 and 127) of
the EC Treaty)
demonstrates the same desire to celebrate Europe’s linguistic diversity and raise European citizens’
awareness of this common treasure.

However,
language regime at national level.

it is up to the Member States themselves or their responsible authorities to determine the