WRITTEN QUESTION E-2203/02 by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Council. Freedom of expression and the Internet.
Date: 2002-07-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Internet, freedom of expression

C 92 E/144

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

17.4.2003

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

The majority of EU fish meal production derives from the reduction of whole fish most of which comes
from industrial fisheries, a significant proportion also comes from trimming based fish meal factories
where the raw material is a by-product of fish processing (circa 30 % in recent years). The reduction from
industrial landings takes place in relatively few facilities throughout the Community.

The share of turnover by Member States in industrial fisheries has recently been given (STOA 101/2001)
as Denmark 47 %, Sweden 11 %, United Kingdom 9 %, Spain 7 %, the Netherlands 7 %, Ireland 5 %, France
4 %, Finland 3 %, Portugal 3 % and other Member States 4 %. The same source presents economic data for
this sector, with total landings at 2,970,000 tonnes, turnover at EUR 211 million and jobs at 4920.

Denmark is the main producer and an information paper ‘Facts on the Industrial Fisheries’ was presented
to the Fifth International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea in February 2002 (CONSSO FEB
02/2/Info-1). Comparable data is not readily available for other Member States. The Danish fleet involved
fully or partly in industrial fishery comprises more than 300 vessels and provides around 1,000 jobs at
sea.

Industry sources indicate that 175 000 tonnes of European fish meal (European Economic Area) was used
in farmed fish production in 2001 compared with 520 000 tonnes in terrestrial animal nutrition (non-
ruminants).

(2003/C 92 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2203/02

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Council

(22 July 2002)

Subject: Freedom of expression and the Internet

Following the publication on 25 October 2000 of a report in the ‘Osservatore Romano’ (cid:1) the daily
newspaper of the Roman Curia (cid:1) of an article on ‘blasphemous’ websites, the Italian financial police, after
about two years’ investigations, has ordered the shutdown of five US-based Internet sites.

Does not the Council consider that these provisions are contrary to freedom of expression, as guaranteed
by the international instruments concerning human rights, in particular Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty on
European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights? If so, what steps does it intend to take?

Reply

(16-19 December 2002)

Article 33 of the Treaty of European Union does not allow the Council to intervene in the maintenance of
public order and security in the Member States.

(2003/C 92 E/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2229/02

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Council

(23 July 2002)

Subject: CAP reform and enlargement

Unlike the Structural Funds, which are directly linked to per capita income levels and which may,
therefore, be seen as examples of European solidarity, the CAP is not calculated on the basis of per capita
GDP and has always contained significant budgetary distortions aside from its many other deficiencies.