WRITTEN QUESTION E-1850/02 by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission. Lack of consistency and coherence in EU fisheries legislation.
Date: 2002-06-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, Portugal, catch quota, drafting of EU law, fishery management, fishing area, fishing regulations, translation

14.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 192 E/23

Following the Indonesian Parliament’s approval in November 2001 of regional autonomy laws for Aceh
and Irian Jaya (to be called thereafter ‘Papua’), and of decentralisation laws for all the other provinces, their
implementation could make a significant contribution to reducing the difficulties. To support this process
in the longer term, the Commission envisages (cid:1) within its draft country strategy for assistance to
Indonesia (cid:1) to focus on encouraging good governance and the rule of law in the framework of the
Government’s decentralisation and regional autonomy policies.

The Government of Indonesia led by President Megawati is, the Commission believes, making a real effort
to balance the internal tensions and to encourage the settlement of disputes peacefully with respect for
human rights. Their role in the brokering of the recent Malino peace accords between the Christian and
Moslem communities in the Moluccas and the rival groups in Sulawesi are examples.

The Commission is appreciative of the efforts of the Government of Indonesia to co-operate with the
international alliance against terrorism. It has noted that the leader of the Laskar Jihad movement, Mr Jafar
Umar Thalib, has been arrested in the Moluccas and is now held in custody in Jakarta. It encourages the
Government of Indonesia to apply thoroughly the due processes of law as appropriate in this and other
cases.

The Commission is providing humanitarian assistance for the victims of disputes, as well as financial
assistance to help resolve disputes and to improve the human rights situation in Indonesia. The Moluccas
have been a particular focus of Commission actions in this regard. Already since 1999 the Commission
has provided EUR 4 600 000 in emergency aid to assist the victims, both Christian and Moslem, of the
violence in the Moluccas (cid:1) particularly Internally Displaced Persons. For the future, Indonesia is a focus
country for the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights 2002-2004. Already, in 2000 and
2001, four actions for a total value of EUR 1 862 880 have been funded under this Initiative through non-
governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. And an
indicative amount of EUR 2 500 000 is programmed for further European Initiative for Democracy and
Human Rights (EIDHR) actions to be financed during 2002.

(2003/C 192 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1850/02

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(28 June 2002)

Subject: Lack of consistency and coherence in EU fisheries legislation

The Commission’s recent
inconsistent with the existing Community legislation and are, besides, internally inconsistent.

legislative proposals COM(2001) 764 and COM(2002) 108, are seriously

In the titles of the documents, the Commission, instead of using the straightforward term ‘deep-sea species’,
speaks of ‘deep-sea [fish] stocks’; the references to the ICES and CECAF geographical areas are inconsistent
with those in the earlier legislation; and even in their listing of species eligible for quotas and the
corresponding amounts, and their non-inclusion of key species such as wreckfish,
these legislative
proposals are marred by serious defects which could have extremely adverse consequences for the Azores.

Does the Commission not consider it necessary to take proper account (meaning more than a pro forma
consultation) of the views of the political and economic agents involved, before drawing up proposals
whose implementation will, as in this case, be of major significance for a given region?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(2 August 2002)

It is a major concern to assure the sustainable exploitation of deep-water species, and the Commission has
proposed measures consistent with scientific advice about the state of these species and the fisheries that
they can sustain. This is the case for all sea areas concerned, including the Azores. However, there is no

C 192 E/24

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

14.8.2003

current scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea nor from the
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries concerning wreckfish, and accordingly the
Commission has not made conservation proposals concerning this species at this time.

The Portuguese version of the deep-sea species regulations will be amended to take into account the
language issue that is referred to.

Consideration of economic and political factors has its place in the fish stock management process, but the
first and most
is sustainable. Once
sustainability is assured, then rational decisions about fisheries exploitation can be made. In any case, the
Commission will consult the relevant industry sectors in respect of the development of conservation policy
in respect of deep-sea species.

important step must be to ensure that

fisheries development

(2003/C 192 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1851/02

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 June 2002)

Subject: Commission bank accounts

Can the Commission forward a list of the names of all banks via which payments are made from and

1.
into the Union budget?

2.

For each bank, can the Commission say what the volume of payments was in both 2001 and 2000?

Can the Commission say when, according to what criteria and under what procedure those banks

3.
were selected?

Can the Commission say whether,

4.
contracts and/or the contract award rules of the Community’s Financial Regulation were observed?

in the process, the directives on the award of public services

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

The following banks within the Union are dealing as of 2 September 2002 with payments from and

1.
revenue into the budget:

(cid:1) Central banks:

(cid:1) Banque Centrale du Luxembourg;

(cid:1) Banque de France;

(cid:1) Banque Nationale de Belgique;

(cid:1) Banco de Portugal;

(cid:1) Banco de España;

(cid:1) Banca d’Italia;

(cid:1) Bank of England;

(cid:1) Bank of Greece;

(cid:1) Central Bank of Ireland;

(cid:1) De Nederlandsche Bank;

(cid:1) Deutsche Bundesbank;

(cid:1) Danmarks National Bank;

(cid:1) Sveriges Riksbank;