WRITTEN QUESTION E-2327/02 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Regional advisory councils.
Date: 2002-07-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: advisory committee (EU), common fisheries policy, fishery management, fishing area, powers of the institutions (EU), scientific committee (EU)

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Reply

(19 December 2002)

The Honourable Member should contact the Spanish authorities directly on this question.

(2003/C 92 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2327/02

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Regional advisory councils

(26 July 2002)

The Commission’s proposals for a reform of the common fisheries policy (CFP) which were adopted by the
College of Commissioners on 28 May 2002, include the setting up of regional advisory councils to advise
the Commission on fisheries management in respect of certain waters or fishing grounds. The councils
would comprise representatives of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, members of environmental- and
consumer-protection organisations and representatives of the national, regional and scientific authorities of
all the Member States whose fishing vessels operate in the waters or the fishing grounds concerned. Such
councils have no precedents under the CFP or in any other areas of Community responsibility and they
constitute an innovation in the procedure for the adoption of Community legislation. At the same time the
Commission is planning to set up a scientific, technical and economic committee on fisheries.

What reasons justify setting up these advisory bodies?

Will the Commission provide detailed information regarding the characteristics, the legal basis, the areas of
responsibility and the status of the regional advisory councils and the scientific, technical and economic
committee, and also regarding the relationships between them and with other, existing advisory
committees?

Can the above advisory bodies be described as advisory committees within the meaning of Article 3 of
Council Decision 1999/468/EC (1) laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers
conferred on the Commission?

Does the Commission not consider that the setting up of these regional advisory councils may result in a
further fragmentation of a policy (the CFP) which is supposed to be common and the adoption of
inconsistent measures applicable in adjacent areas?

Will the Commission provide information regarding the reasons for vetoing the presence of representatives
of each and every one of the Member States? Does the Commission not think that the management of
fisheries within the Community may be of interest to all the Member States, as is illustrated by the fact that
representatives of Member States which have no vessels of
their own fishing in a given area are
nonetheless members of the Community delegation to international fisheries organisations?

Why are the tasks of the regional advisory councils restricted to the management of fisheries resources,
with no possibility of any extension to other areas such as processing, aquaculture or marketing?

(1) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(7 October 2002)

Stakeholders feel alienated from the Common fisheries policy (CFP) since they have not been sufficiently
involved in policy shaping in the past. This lack of involvement undermines support for and compliance
with the measures adopted under the CFP.

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The Commission believes that the setting-up of regional advisory bodies will ensure greater and more
effective involvement of local and regional stakeholders in the fisheries management process which in turn
will increase responsibility and commitment to make common measures work. This idea has received wide
support from the interested parties during the consultations that followed the adoption of the Green Paper
in 2001 (1). The Commission’s proposal is also in line with its broader objectives to improve the European
Governance through greater stakeholder participation in the conception and implementaion of European
policies as it was underlined in the Commission’s White Paper on European Governance adopted in July
2001 (2).

The Commission has provided detailed information about the matters raised in this question in its
Communication on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (Roadmap) (3), and in the explanatory
memorandum of its proposal for a Council Regulation on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of
fisheries resources under the CFP (4).

The Committees laid down in Article 3 of Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 are composed
only of representatives of Member States and chaired by the Commission.

Where implementing powers have been conferred on the Commission by the Council, these committees
shall be consulted by the Commission on certain kind of measures before these measures are to be adopted
by the Commission.

Regional Advisory Councils would have a totally different composition and function.

Regional Advisory Councils would be open to all parties having an interest in the CFP in the area covered
by these Councils (representatives of
the fisheries sector, scientists, non-governmental organisations
(NGOs), national and regional administrations …). They would not be chaired by the Commission. They
would only have a regional mandate.

There would be no obligation for the Commission and for Member States to consult Regional Advisory
Councils. Their main task would be to advise the Commission on matters of fisheries management in
respect of certain sea areas or fishing zones.

They could be consulted at the stage of the elaboration by the Commission of proposals for legislative
measures when these measures relate specifically to fish stocks in the area covered by the Council
concerned; they may also be consulted by the Commission or by the Member States in respect of other
measures.

They could submit recommendations or suggestions to the Commission and to a Member State on matters
relating to fisheries management for sea areas and fishing zones for which they have a mandate.

they could inform the Commission and Member States about problems

Lastly,
relating to the
implementation of Community rules in the area they cover and submit them recommendations and
suggestions addressing such problems.

Regional Advisory Councils can thus not be described as advisory committees within the meaning of
Article 3 of the above-mentioned Council Decision of 28 June 1999.

The Commission does not share the view that the setting-up of regional advisory bodies will lead to the
fragmentation of the CFP since these bodies will only have advisory functions and not decision-making
powers. The Commission, as guardian of the EC Treaty, will safeguard the Community character of the
CFP.

The Commission’s proposal does not exclude the presence of any interested stakeholders from any Member
State in the works of the regional advisory bodies. The Commission’s proposal, however, does not make
such participation compulsory so as not to overburden the structure of a regional advisory mechanism
that should be set-up to look at particular local or regional issues that by definition, will not be of interest
to all the stakeholders in the Union.

Although it is true that the central tasks of the regional advisory councils would focus on fisheries
management issues, the Commission’s proposal does allow them to conduct any other activities necessary
to fulfil their functions (Article 32(3) of the draft proposal for a Council Regulation on the conservation
and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the CFP) (4). So if, for example, the members of a
regional advisory council are of the opinion that processing, marketing or aquaculture issues interfere with

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fisheries management issues and that should therefore be examined, nothing in the proposal impedes them
from doing so. The Commission believes that it will be up to each regional advisory council to decide on
the precise tasks that they should accomplish. The Commission, however, believes that priority should be
given to fisheries management issues because it is for those very issues that the advice of the regional and
local actors is mostly needed.

(1) COM(2001) 135 final.
(2) OJ C 287, 12.10.2001.
(3) COM(2002) 181final.
(4) OJ C 203 E, 27.8.2002.

(2003/C 92 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2353/02

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Local dimension of the European employment strategy

(31 July 2002)

On Thursday, 4 July, the European Parliament adopted a report on strengthening the local dimension of
the European employment strategy, which was unanimously supported by all parliamentary groups.

Inter alia,
description ‘local market’.

the report stresses that one third of the total European labour market qualifies for the

What specific proposals and action plans does the Commission intend to implement as part of the recent
joint decision to step up incentives to improve local employment strategies?

In major cities, the labour market is more diversified and more integrated with its surroundings. More and
more urban districts are segregating in terms of their particular labour market characteristics (high
unemployment level, little specialisation, low quality jobs). What role could local employment strategies
play in these markets?

Answer given by Mrs. Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 2002)

Taking into account the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity, which are particularly relevant in
the field of local development, notably by fully respecting the national administrative and constitutional
arrangements of the Member States, the Commission endeavours to provide a favourable framework for
local employment. Local action strategies and programmes submitted by the national authorities within the
Structural Funds programmes receive Community financial support.

Moreover, the Commission will endeavour to raise awareness of the European Employment Strategy at all
levels, in particular at local level. All actors at local level, such as local and regional authorities, and in the
social economy, are encouraged to support the economic and social development of their territory by
setting up local employment partnerships.

In this context, a European Forum on Local Employment Development, to be held in May 2003, will
provide the opportunity for Community institutions, national, regional and local authorities and other key
actors at local level to promote the employment strategy and exchange good practice.

The Commission is also developing a number of analytical and methodological tools with a view to
improving the understanding and enhancing the efficiency of local employment strategies.