WRITTEN QUESTION E-2454/02 by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission. Petition signed by 21 distinguished Vietnamese dissidents seeking radical legal reforms.
Date: 2002-08-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Viet Nam, cooperation agreement (EU), human rights, human rights movement, political rights, political violence

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/171

3. What proportion of all agricultural holdings, of all farmed land and of all direct payments do (a) ‘large
holdings’ and (b) ‘20 % of the largest holdings’ account for (in the EU and broken down by Member
State)?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(25 September 2002)

The statement that around 80 % of direct payments go to 20 % of the farms has been made on the basis of
estimates from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN).

The FADN is a source of harmonised micro-economic data that is collected on the basis of an annual
survey of a representative sample of holdings. The survey does not cover all the agricultural holdings in
the Union but only those which due to their size could be considered commercial by the Member State
concerned. Due to statistical uncertainty such estimates should only be taken as a broad indication of the
distribution of payments at a Community level.

As the Honourable Member suggests, it would be incorrect to suggest that holdings with a farm area of
1000 or more hectares account for 80 % of direct payments. However, the farms which receive the largest
amount of payments tend also to be farms with the largest farmed area, particularly in the arable crops
and beef sectors. The Commission has no specific criteria for defining large holdings.

The absolute level of payments received by a single farm is an issue of the social acceptability of direct
payments. In the current system single landowners or farms can receive large sums of public support.
Capping is not meant to work against large scale farming, but intends to set a certain limit to public
support going to a single farm. Furthermore, in the Commission’s view, the use of payments above the
capping level for rural development measures would be a more efficient use of public resources in the
regions concerned.

More accurate information on the distribution of payments is available within Commission payment
databases. Subject to confidentiality requirements and technical feasibility, more detailed information will
be shortly made available to the Parliament.

(2003/C 52 E/188)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2454/02

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(29 August 2002)

Subject: Petition signed by 21 distinguished Vietnamese dissidents seeking radical legal reforms

The Paris-based ‘Vietnam pour les Droits de l’Homme’ (‘Vietnam for Human Rights’) Committee announced
that, on 2 August 2002, 21 distinguished dissidents, former senior cadres in the Vietnamese Communist
Party (PCV), veterans and scholars, and most of them committed to the Party, had forwarded a petition to
the National Assembly and to the country’s leaders. In their petition, they sought radical legal reforms so
as to ensure genuine protection of human rights. In particular, the petition called upon the recently elected
National Assembly to establish a Constitutional Court which would strike down any unconstitutional
legislation and ensure that national
legislation complied with the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights. It also called for the establishment of an independent anti-corruption association, for
publication of the controversial treaties which establish the frontiers between China and Vietnam and for
the introduction of legal safeguards in order to curb the repressive measures taken by the State against
citizens who legitimately oppose its actions.

Is the Commission aware of this petition? What measures will the Commission take, on the basis of
Article 2 of the Cooperation Agreement,
to ensure that the Vietnamese authorities stop persecuting
Vietnamese citizens because of their opinions or because of their peaceful political activities?

C 52 E/172

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(27 September 2002)

The Commission is indeed aware of the initiative referred to by the Honourable Member.

The Union-Vietnam Co-operation Agreement, which was signed in 1995, states in its first Article that
respect for human rights and democratic principles is the basis of our co-operation. Questions related to
the respect for and the promotion of human rights are addressed in meetings of the Union-Vietnam Joint
Commission established under the Co-operation Agreement. The Commission, together with the Member
States represented in Vietnam, therefore monitors closely human rights developments in Vietnam as part
of the policy of the Union to encourage and support the continued commitment of the Government of
Vietnam to progress in the field of human rights. The Commission also participates with the Member
States in regular dialogue with and in all démarches to the Government of Vietnam on human rights
issues.

(2003/C 52 E/189)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2458/02

by Herman Vermeer (ELDR) to the Commission

(4 September 2002)

Subject: Special situation of small-scale fishing in extremely remote regions in the new common fisheries

policy

Is the Commission aware of the situation of small-scale fishing in extremely remote regions such as the
Azores? Because there is virtually no continental shelf on the coast of the Azores, local fishermen gain
nothing from the 6 to 12 mile zone. They are involved in deep sea fishing and their fishing waters are
therefore open. The small-scale fishing sector cannot compete with more industrial fishing and is no threat
to it. Moreover, fish stocks appear to suffer little as a result of the small-scale fishing effort. Does the
Commission recognise the small-scale and special character of this type of fishing?

Small-scale fishing in these areas is likely to disappear unless measures are taken. Is the Commission aware
of the degree to which these areas are dependent on fishing of this kind? These regions are often largely
dependent on small-scale fishing and appropriate alternatives are not always available. Is the Commission
also aware of the working conditions and safety in this fishing fleet?

What measures and initiatives does the Commission envisage to protect this special fisheries sector and
how are these measures reflected in the proposals for the new common fisheries policy? If the Commission
will not be taking any measures, how does it justify its decision?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(7 October 2002)

In the context of the preparatory work of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) the needs of
the outermost regions have always been taken fully into account, given the specific nature of the fisheries
sector in these regions.

It should be noted in this regard that the Green Paper on the Future of the Common Fisheries Policy (1)
refers to the approach that should be taken in order to provide support to these regions when adopting
measures for the conservation and management of resources or within the framework of reinforcing the
economic and social dimension of the CFP.