WRITTEN QUESTION E-1057/02 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Information policy on the revision of the common fisheries policy.
Date: 2002-04-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU expenditure, common fisheries policy, fishing industry, information policy, public awareness campaign, social dialogue (EU)

C 301 E/82

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

On the basis of the information gathered during the inspections, requests for additional information have
been sent to various operators in the Dutch market for beer, including but not limited to the companies
subjected to the March 2000 inspections. The answers to these requests are currently being assessed.

The Commission’s investigation is ongoing and, therefore, the final outcome of the case cannot be
prejudged.

(1) Pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation No 17 of the Council of 6 February 1962, OJ P 13, 21.2.1962.

(2002/C 301 E/088)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1057/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 April 2002)

Subject: Information policy on the revision of the common fisheries policy

The Commission’s proposals on the revision of the common fisheries policy are expected in April. For this
reason, action must be taken as of now in order to ensure that those who work in the sector receive the
necessary information and are involved appropriately. This will enable the revision to be implemented
more successfully and the interested parties to be more closely involved in the legislative process. This is
an objective set out by the Commission in its Green Paper and supported by the European Parliament in
its resolution of 17 January 2002 on the future of the common fisheries policy. The budget already
contains a heading for dialogue with the fisheries sector (B2-903), under which information activities are
also financed.

How much money in each Member State has actually been spent on information under heading B2-903,
and what kind of information activities have been funded?

What action is the Commission intending to take in order to ensure that all necessary information
regarding the revision of the common fisheries policy is made available?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(28 May 2002)

The Commission’s dual approach to closer dialogue with the fishing industry and other groups affected
comprises, firstly, facilitating meetings and exchanges between trade associations and bodies involved at
European level so as to prepare thoroughly the work of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries and
Aquaculture (ACFA) and, secondly, informing all groups affected about the objectives and measures of the
common fisheries policy (CFP) so that they can become more closely involved in its conception and
implementation.

In 2002 and 2003 the central theme of that approach will continue to be the reform of the CFP. The
communication work which has accompanied discussion about the Green Paper on the future of the CFP
is due to be followed by an initiative to present and explain the Commission’s CFP reform proposals and,
subsequently, the decisions adopted.

The communication and information initiative has two key aspects:

(cid:1) producing and disseminating (cid:1) in written, audiovisual and electronic form and in all the EU official

languages (cid:1) information material tailored to the target audiences’ needs;

(cid:1) developing communication instruments and direct forms of communication which maximise access,
so that everyone concerned (cid:1) including those far away from the decision-making centres (cid:1) can easily
obtain information on the CFP.

The following are scheduled for 2002:

(cid:1) disseminating information on the Commission’s CFP reform proposals as soon as they have been
languages, which involves:

adopted and making related documents available in all the EU official

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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distributing a brochure and the texts of the proposals by direct mail and via the networks concerned,
and making them rapidly available on the special pages created on the CFP website; distributing press
notices and explanatory notes, and disseminating them via the Internet; distributing explanatory
audiovisual material, including via the Europe by Satellite (EbS) service;

(cid:1) organising briefings for the media, the fishing industry and the other groups concerned in the
Member States, so that they can put questions on the reform proposals directly to Commission
representatives;

(cid:1) distributing a special

issue (comprising 15 000 copies in the 11 official

languages) of the CFP

magazine ‘Fishing in Europe’, devoted to the reform proposals;

(cid:1) organising an Internet chat so that European citizens and anyone else concerned can discuss the CFP

reform with the Commission Member responsible for agriculture and fisheries.

For 2002, budget heading B2-903 has been allocated EUR 1 513 million:

(cid:1) EUR 400 000 will be devoted to reinforcing European trade associations in preparation for the ACFA’s
work; EUR 1 113 000 have been earmarked for the communication and information initiatives.

(cid:1) A further EUR 117 000 have been allocated to heading B-903A for organising meetings of experts (cid:1)
in particular regional workshops bringing together representatives from the fishing industry, the
scientific world and the authorities in the Member States concerned to discuss specific questions
relating to certain fisheries.

(cid:1) To date, 2002 commitments comprise EUR 1 338 000 for heading B2-903 and EUR 113 000 for
heading B2-903A. As a guide, the heading’s 2001 commitments comprised EUR 1 009 000 from an
available total of EUR 1.1 million.

Since the initiatives are carried out at European level, the amounts used to implement them are not broken
down by Member State.

(2002/C 301 E/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1058/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 April 2002)

Subject: Support for small-scale fisheries and small-scale coastal fishing

At the European Parliament’s instigation a specific initiative to support small-scale fisheries and small-scale
coastal fishing was entered in the Community budget (heading B2-909, former heading B2-910). The
heading is being phased out and is due to be discontinued in 2003. The European Parliament and, in
particular, its Committee on Fisheries have always attached particular importance to this policy aspect and
to ensuring that it occupies a prominent position in the budget, in view of its socio-economic importance
and the specific problems which it is intended to address. In its resolution of 17 January 2002 on the
revision of the common fisheries policy, Parliament called for a specific Community initiative to be devised
for the purpose of supporting small-scale fisheries and small-scale coastal fishing. The Commission has also
acknowledged the importance of this section of the fishing fleet in its Green Paper on the future of the
common fisheries policy, and it argues that such support has been provided under FIFG structural
operations.

How much money has actually been spent on each type of project and in each Member State since the
start of the current initiative to support small-scale fisheries and small-scale coastal fishing (heading
B2-909, former heading B2-910)? What does the Commission think of the parallel support being provided
under the FIFG?

How much money has actually been spent (and how has it been divided up) under the FIFG for the
purpose of supporting small-scale fisheries and small-scale coastal fishing?