WRITTEN QUESTION E-0613/02 by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Council. Training for fishermen.
Date: 2002-03-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Structural Funds, crew, fishing industry, legislative initiative, maritime shipping, maritime transport, vocational training

C 229 E/110

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

In Algeria, approximately 200 people are killed every month in conflict-related incidents, while there are
thousands of cases of kidnapping and disappearance and restrictions on civil liberties are the order of the
day.

In the framework of the negotiations for an association agreement, how does the Commission intend to
monitor the human rights situation in Algeria, in implementation of the Barcelona commitments?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2002)

The human rights situation in Algeria was carefully monitored by the Commission during the negotiations
on Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement with that country and this will continue. Concerning the
victims of the horrific violence that has scarred Algeria over the last ten years, the Commission believes
that a distinction has to be made between the acts of terrorist groups, which are rightly put down by the
Algerian authorities, and acts that, under cover of
fighting terrorism, violate human rights and
fundamental freedoms.

The only way to stop the spiral of violence is to open a broad dialogue with all the democratic forces in
Algeria and implement political, economic and social reforms.

Article 2 of the Association Agreement initialled on 19 December 2001 lays down that respect for
democratic principles and fundamental human rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights should inspire the domestic and international policies of the parties and is an essential element of
the Agreement.

The manner in which the two parties keep to this commitment will be discussed in the political dialogue
that will be established once the Agreement comes into force. The dialogue will take place at two levels:
ministerial, usually in the Association Council, and that of senior officials, through the usual diplomatic
channels or any other means. The Commission will make full use of the dialogue to pursue the objectives
set by Article 2.

Pending the entry into force of the Agreement, a regular political dialogue is taking place between the EU
Troika and the Algerian government on an ad hoc basis. Human rights are always raised at these meetings.

(2002/C 229 E/126)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0613/02

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Council

(6 March 2002)

Subject: Training for fishermen

On 4 April 2001 the Commission submitted a communication to the Council and the European
Parliament on the training and recruitment of seafarers (1). That communication aimed to provide a
comprehensive study into the current situation as regards maritime education and training, describe the
legislative and other measures already taken by the Commission and encourage the adoption of further
measures to improve the situation both by the social partners in maritime transport and providers of
maritime education and training.

Despite its title, this communication refers exclusively to people working in maritime transport and
excludes the entire European fishing industry, despite the high number of workers it employs, the difficult
conditions in which they work and their high accident rate.

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/111

Why did the Council not urge the Commission to include the fishing industry in this initiative?

Will the Spanish Council Presidency ask the Commission to submit an initiative rounding off that already
presented and containing proposals for the training and recruitment of workers in the fishing industry?

(1) COM(2001) 188 final.

Reply

(27 June 2002)

The Council would remind the Honourable Member that the communication which the Commission
submitted in April 2001 on the training and recruitment of seafarers is part of an overall strategy to
increase the competitiveness of Community shipping, the need for which was stressed by the Council in its
Resolution of 24 March 1997 (1). That strategy focuses on shipping as a mode of transport and not on the
fishing industry.

The distinction made between maritime transport and fisheries is common to the great majority of
national, international and Community legislative instruments. In the various Conventions adopted by the
International Labour Organisation (ILO), as well as in the Convention on Standards of Training,
(STCW) adopted within the International Maritime
Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers
Organisation (IMO) framework, the term ‘seafarers’ applies exclusively to the crew of vessels used for
maritime transport and not to fishermen.

The same approach was in fact followed by the European Parliament and the Council when they adopted
Directive 2001/25/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 April 2001 on the minimum
level of training of seafarers.

That instrument applies to: the seafarers […] serving on board seagoing ships flying the flag of a Member
State, with the exception of:

A warships […],

A fishing vessels,

A pleasure yachts […],

A wooden ships of primitive build. (Article 2 A scope).

Notwithstanding this general approach, as the Honourable Member is certainly aware, Council Regulation
No 2792/1999 on Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector already foresees support for
training of workers in the fishing industry.
In Article 11, support for ‘professional requalification or
training’ is made part of the Community support for small-scale coastal fishing. Article 15(3)(k) allows for
support to producer organisations for ‘access to training, particularly in quality, and organisation of
transmission of know-how on board vessels and on land’, and finally in Article 17(1) ‘training measures’
are also mentioned.

(1) OJ C 109, 8.4.1997, p. 1.

(2002/C 229 E/127)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0635/02

by Giuseppe Pisicchio (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 March 2002)

Subject: Benefits for frontier regions

The general public is now fully aware of the major difficulties affecting certain coastal regions of Europe
(particularly in southern Italy) on account of the constant arrivals of illegal immigrants by boat.