WRITTEN QUESTION E-1071/02 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Fisheries agreements in the Pacific.
Date: 2002-04-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Kiribati, aid policy, common fisheries policy, development aid, economic consequence, fishing agreement, poverty

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/85

Countries

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

Amount

3,401

0,700

2,500

1,137

Total

50,127

Complementarity of small-scale coastal fishing projects (heading B2-909) with those financed by the

3.
FIFG.

The specific operation in favour of small-scale coastal
Parliament’s initiative in 1997,
Regulation contained no specific measures for small-scale coastal fishing.

fishing was launched as a pilot action on
i.e. during the 1994-1999 programming period, for which the FIFG

The Commission, recognising the importance of this particular segment of the European fleet and the
difficulties facing it, subsequently included specific measures in support of small-scale coastal fishing in the
present 2000-2006 programming.

The amounts and the possibilities offered for small-scale coastal fishing by the FIFG have been greatly
enlarged and consist notably of:

(cid:1) a specific measure for small-scale coastal fishing, for which the Member States have programmed a

total amount of EUR 50 127 000 (see Table 2);

(cid:1) access to measures not specifically intended for small-scale coastal fishing but from which it can
benefit such as fleet renewal, fishing vessel modernisation, adjustment of fishing effort and also
collective projects by professionals and socio-economic measures;

(cid:1) lastly the fleet renewal rules are relaxed for small-scale coastal fishing.

The Commission is about to evaluate the ‘small-scale coastal fishing’
initiative. Its conclusions will be
subsumed into a comprehensive review exercise on the future of the structural policy for fisheries after
2006.

(2002/C 301 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1071/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(17 April 2002)

Subject: Fisheries agreements in the Pacific

Would the Commission outline how it intends to ensure consistency between the EU’s development
objectives and the fisheries agreement currently being negotiated with Kiribati?

How does the Commission imagine that fisheries agreements will contribute to the reduction of poverty in
the Pacific?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(29 May 2002)

Any future Community/Kiribati fishery agreement will ensure that the activity of Community vessels is
compatible with the long-term sustainability of tuna fishery in the Pacific region, as well as with all
technical fishing and conservation rules applicable in the region.

C 301 E/86

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

During the negotiations with Kiribati the Commission is taking into consideration development aspects
aiming in particular at poverty reduction and economic benefits for the local economy.

Apart from the usual payment of a financial contribution to the state Treasury, social clauses concerning
the employment of Kiribati nationals on Community vessels and training of seamen may be taken into
account. Furthermore, important transhipment activity should be carried out by Community vessels in
Kiribati ports.

The Commission also intends to encourage Kiribati to achieve complementarity and synergies between its
National Indicative Programme (NIP) and the Regional Indicative Programme (RIP) for the Pacific with the
financing of fishery related programmes that should be defined in the context of a possible future
Community/Kiribati fishery agreement.

The Commission also supports Kiribati to extend the search for complementarity and synergies to take
into account other financing and business opportunities made available through institutions and bodies
such as the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE).

(2002/C 301 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1075/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 April 2002)

Subject: Increase in malformations in babies as a result of drinking water from rivers contaminated with

the female hormone oestrogen

1.
Is the Commission aware that Europe’s main rivers are becoming increasingly polluted with the
female hormone oestrogen, as a result of urine from women taking the contraceptive pill entering the
sewers, and that the use of drinking water taken from such rivers is causing an increase in the number of
babies with malformations. These malformations may take the form of harelip, penile abnormality
(hypospadias), gastroschis or spina bifida. Is the Commission also aware that in many river estuaries half
the male fish have changed sex?

2. Which areas of the EU are vulnerable to this problem because their drinking water or a large
proportion of it comes from treated river water? Is this risk particularly high for ports located on river
estuaries, such as Rotterdam, Antwerp, Bremen, Hamburg, Bristol, London, Hull, Le Havre, Bordeaux,
Porto, Cadiz, Marseilles, Venice and Thessaloniki?

3. What methods are now available for purifying water contaminated with oestrogen or for switching
to other sources of drinking water? What further developments in this area does the Commission expect
over the next ten years?

Is systematic research being carried out into this problem in areas of the EU other than the United

4.
Kingdom and Flanders?

Is the Commission prepared to encourage further research and coordination with other data in order

5.
to map the consequences throughout the EU?

In what other ways does the Commission envisage helping to protect the population against the

6.
effects of drinking water polluted with oestrogen?

Source: Flemish newspaper ‘Het Nieuwsblad’ of 19 March 2002.