WRITTEN QUESTION E-3380/01 by John McCartin (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Fishing licences/registration and third-country agreements.
Date: 2001-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community fisheries, EU Member State, census, fishing agreement, fishing fleet, fishing regulations, fishing rights, fishing vessel

C 134 E/226

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

The Commission is looking into this matter within the scope of the infringement procedure laid down in
Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty. In addition, this matter gave raise already to financial
corrections within the procedure of clearance of accounts of the European Agriculture Guidance and
Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).

(2002/C 134 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3380/01

by John McCartin (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 December 2001)

Subject: Fishing licences/registration and third-country agreements

Can the Commission state whether new fishing vessels, constituting additional tonnage to the Community
fleet and which have no quota allocation in Community waters may obtain registration as fishing vessels
and under what conditions such registration takes place? Can the Commission also state if registration for
such vessels as part of the Community fleet actually constitutes a licence to make private agreements with
third countries or to apply for a share of the Community quotas agreed with such countries? Can the
Commission state how many such vessels are registered?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Pursuant to Article 1 of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 2090/98, of 30 September 1998 concerning
the fishing vessel register of the Community (1) all Community fishing vessels flying the flag of or
registered in a Member State shall be registered in the fishing vessel register of the Community.

Such registration does not automatically constitute a licence to make private agreements or to apply for a
quota share. However,
individuals and companies have a right to make private agreements with third
countries as well as to apply for an allocation of quota under a fishing agreement concluded between the
Community and the third country concerned. The latter application transmitted to the flag Member State
by the fisherman is therefore forwarded by the Commission to the third country, inside the share of fishing
possibilities allocated to that Member State under the conditions laid down by the fishing agreement. It is
then the third country concerned which issues the licence to the Community fishing vessels wishing to fish
in the waters of that country.

As regards allocation of quotas to individual vessels and issuing fishing licences pursuant to Article 3 of
Council Regulation (EC) No 3690/93 of 20 December 1993 establishing a Community system laying
down rules for the minimum information to be contained in fishing licences (2), it must be stressed that it
is the flag Member State (and not the Commission) which is responsible.

(1) OJ L 266, 1.10.1998.
(2) OJ L 341, 31.12.1993.

(2002/C 134 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3387/01

by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Commission

(7 December 2001)

Subject: Temporary employment agencies

Temporary work is an arrangement under which temporary employment agencies provide companies with
workers to cover their short-term labour requirements. The worker is employed and paid by the agency,
while the company pays the agency the worker’s salary, plus a commission for the service which the
agency performs.