WRITTEN QUESTION P-0163/03 by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Common Fisheries Policy.
Date: 2003-01-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, accession to the European Union, catch quota, common fisheries policy, infringement of EU law, statistics

C 11 E/70

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.1.2004

for certain categories of natural disaster (for example, storms,

According to the information available to the Commission, in some Member States private insurance
policies give cover
thunderstorms,
earthquakes). This can either be additional or complementary to the principal risk covered by the policy
(for example, fire insurance policy for a building) or take the form of separate cover in a specific insurance
policy. Such cover is sometimes required under national legislation, which spells out the risks that have to
be covered as well as the terms and conditions. But there are some risks that cannot be covered by private
insurance operators because the degree of exposure is too great (for example, floods in the Netherlands).

In most Member States, the public authorities also provide cover for natural disasters based on national
solidarity. This takes different forms depending on the particular situation in each Member State. It may
either replace or supplement insurance schemes:
in such cases the public authorities may cover risks
through pools or funds providing insurance cover in addition to cover under insurance policies. Or, in
other cases, Member States have reinsurance schemes for insurance companies which are required under
national legislation to provide cover against the risk of natural disasters.

In addition to these insurance-related systems some Member States have special arrangements for
providing compensation for damage caused by natural disasters which are not insured (disaster funds). And
lastly, under certain circumstances, some Member States make ad hoc provision to contribute to
compensation for damage (aid, credit on favourable terms, etc.).

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund:

OJ L 311, 14.11.2002.

(2004/C 11 E/072)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0163/03

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 January 2003)

Subject: Common Fisheries Policy

Would the Commission detail:

(cid:1) the number of fishery officers in Spain; in UK; in France; in Belgium; in Ireland and in Denmark;

(cid:1) the number of arrests and prosecutions in each country for the last available year.

(cid:1) What quotas will be/have been allocated to each accession country, for which species, and waters?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2003)

The following information concerning the number of fishery officers in Belgium, Denmark, Spain,

1.
France, Ireland and the United Kingdom is based on annual reports submitted by the Member States.

The number of fisheries inspectors in Belgium is five.

In Denmark a total number of 127 officials are employed in the local inspectorates for the purpose of land
based inspections. On the four fisheries control vessels deployed for fisheries control, there is a total
number of 80 crew personnel, working on a rotation basis. All these crew members are empowered to
carry out inspections.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Spain has, for fisheries control under the responsibility of the central government, 74 shore based fisheries
inspectors at its disposal, of which 20 are working at the Spanish Ministry of agriculture and fisheries
(MAPA) headquarters in Madrid and 54 are based in the different regions. The Autonomous Regions have
a total number of 133 fisheries inspectors at their disposal. The number of officials carrying out, or being
mandated to carry out, inspections at sea has not been provided.

In France the total number of ‘Affaires Maritimes’ officials participating in fisheries control is 621, of
which 291 are doing so on a permanent basis and 330 occasionally. In the absence of information about
how much time, expressed in man-days, is actually spent on fisheries control, it is difficult to provide a
basis for comparison with other Member States concerning the number of ‘fishery officers’ effectively
deployed for fisheries control. In addition, officials from the French Navy and the Gendarmerie Maritime
are participating in fisheries control, but, again, in the absence of more detailed information about the time
actually spent on these tasks, a proper basis for comparison cannot be provided.

Ireland has three senior fisheries officers and 35 fisheries officers for land based fisheries control. Sea
inspections are carried out by the Irish Navy, and the number of officers empowered to carry out
inspections is not available.

United Kingdom has at its disposal 151 shore based inspectors. Also for the United Kingdom, the number
of officials carrying out or empowered to carry out sea inspections is not available.

2.
For statistics on serious infringements reference is made to Commission Communication on
behaviour which seriously infringed the rules of the Common fisheries policy (CFP) in 2001 (1). The
number of serious infringements and criminal and administrative procedures initiated as a result of serious
infringements of the CFP can be found in Annex 1 which is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to
Parliament’s Secretariat.

Quotas for Accession Countries

3.
The quotas’ allocations within the enlarged Community are preserving the current fishing pattern.
For the Baltic Sea, the basis for the new allocations is the current allocation key used within the
International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission (IBSFC), while for plaice, which is not regulated by the
IBSFC, landings during the reference period 1997-2001 have been used as a basis. Outside the Baltic Sea,
Poland has some allocations which are based on the current entitlements for Poland within the North-East
Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and in the cod fishery around Svalbard. The allocations discussed
for insertion in the Accession Treaty can be found in Annex 2 which is sent direct to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

(1) COM(2002) 687 final.

(2004/C 11 E/073)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0196/03

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Child labour in the production of sports equipment

(31 January 2003)

On 13 June 2002, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on child labour in the production of
sports equipment.

In that resolution, the Commission was asked to report back to Parliament by the end of 2002 on the
steps and measures that it had taken on the basis of that resolution.

To date, Parliament has not received a report of that nature.

1. When may Parliament expect a Commission report on this topic?

2.

Has the Commission taken any steps or measures? If so, what has it done? If not, why not?

Is the Commission prepared, in conjunction with ICFTU, to take the initiative and organise a round-

3.
table debate with FIFA?