WRITTEN QUESTION E-1813/02 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission. CITES.
Date: 2002-06-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: international instrument, international trade, marine mammal, protected species, protection of animals, the EU's international role

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/103

The critical mass for the entry into force of the Convention is 30 Contracting Parties of which 18 have
already been registered which means that the 15 Member States could by themselves activate the new
global standards on better air passenger protection by completing the ratification process.

Ratification of the Convention by all Member States is also linked to the entry into force of the
Community Regulation amending Regulation (EC) 2027/97 (1) on air carrier liability.

Can the Council indicate the state of progress in each Member State for the completion of the ratification
process of the Montreal Convention by the end of 2002 and whether it is on target to enable this
international instrument to enter into force at the end of the year?

(1) OJ L 285, 17.10.1997, p. 1.

Reply

(11 November 2002)

At its meeting in Luxembourg on 4/5 April 2001, the Council adopted the Decision on the conclusion of
the Montreal Convention by the Community.

The adoption of this Decision was accompanied by Conclusions, where the Council recommends Member
States to ratify the Montreal Convention as soon as their national constitutional requirements permit, with
the aim of co-ordinated deposition of instruments no later than 31 December 2002.

The process of ratification has begun in all Member States and some have already completed it.

(2003/C 52 E/116)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1813/02

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 June 2002)

Subject: CITES

Is it the Commission’s intention to press at the next opportunity to have the basking shark listed as having
priority status as an endangered species under the CITES?

If so, how strongly does the Commission rate its chances of success?

Are there any steps which the European Parliament, parliaments in Member States, or individual
parliamentarians should take with a view to improving the chances of success?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2002)

As the Community is not yet a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES), the Commission does not have the authority to make proposals of its own.

Instead, proposals are brought forward by a Member State having been endorsed by all other Member
States prior to their submission to the CITES Secretariat. They are then submitted to the Secretariat by the
relevant Member State ‘on behalf of the Member States of the European Community’.

C 52 E/104

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

In the case of the Basking Shark, the United Kingdom, following agreement by the Community’s CITES
Management Committee, has submitted a revised proposal for the next CITES Conference of the Parties (to
be held in Santiago, Chile, from 3-15 November 2002) to have the species listed on Appendix II of CITES.
This was done in May 2002. The Commission fully supports this proposal both from an environmental
and a fisheries perspective.

On the last occasion when the listing of this species was considered, the main objection raised was that
this issue was more properly the responsibility of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation
(FAO). The proposal was narrowly defeated.

There are two factors that have changed since the last Conference of the Parties:

(cid:1) FAO have in the meantime agreed an interpretation of the CITES selection criteria for commercial fish
species and the proposal made on behalf of the Community Member States demonstrates that the
basking shark meets these criteria;

(cid:1) as a CITES Party, the United Kingdom has also consulted FAO and relevant Regional Fisheries

Organisations and has not had any negative response.

Lobbying of those countries which expressed opposition at the last Conference by all those interested in
the conservation of the basking shark could be helpful.

(2003/C 52 E/117)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1829/02

by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Council

(27 June 2002)

Subject: Persons missing in unknown circumstances

In response to the current problem of persons missing in unknown circumstances,
it seems that a
collective working group of six Member State countries has been formed with the objective of creating an
international database for identifying missing persons and unidentified corpses.

Is the Council aware of this working group and, if so, of what it involves?

Is the Council involved in this type of initiative, or does it intend to put forward a proposal for a similar
initiative at European Union level?

Reply

(11 November 2002)

1.
As part of the implementation of the Joint Action 97/154/JHA of 24 February 1997 concerning
action to combat trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation of children (1), the Council adopted,
on 19 March 1998, conclusions on missing persons and unidentified corpses.

It proposed that:

(a)

(b)

either national coordination points be set up in the Member States, or the working methods and
procedures of existing coordination points be improved;

the handling at national level of reports of missing persons be improved, with priority being given to
high-risk categories of missing persons;

(c)

experience with these priority improvements be assessed within a year.

In evaluating the measures taken regarding missing persons and unidentified corpses the Council is
2.
examining ways to reach agreement on recommendations to improve the work of
the national
coordination points and took note of the initiative of the Netherlands delegation to organise an experts
meeting on missing persons.