WRITTEN QUESTION E-0446/03 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. Dolphin death and paired travelling.
Date: 2003-02-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: by-catch, fishing regulations, fishing vessel, marine mammal, protection of animal life

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/205

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 2003)

Following the signing of the Lusaka ceasefire agreements and its deployment, MONUC, has carried out its
objectives of:

(cid:1) supervising implementation of the ceasefire agreement and investigating violations;

(cid:1) supervising and monitoring the withdrawal and redeployment of the troops of the Lusaka agreement

signatories.

Following the signing of the Pretoria Agreement between the DRC and Rwanda in August 2002, it was
further agreed to create a mechanism to verify implementation of the agreement, the so-called Third Party
Verification Mechanism, consisting of the United Nations and South Africa as acting president of the
African Union.

Not having an independent intelligence service, the Commission has no grounds for disbelieving that the
withdrawal of foreign troops from DRC territory has been completed, as has been indicated by the
institutional verification mechanisms established by the international community.

The Commission believes that the mandate given to MONUC, whose personnel was increased to 8 700 by
Security Council Resolution 1445 of 4 December 2002, could be strengthened to enable the United
Nations Mission to take a more active and effective role in the process of peace and national reconciliation
and to exceed its hitherto status of observer. However, strengthening MONUC’s mandate falls under the
jurisdiction of the Security Council in which the Commission has no power to intervene.

Given the complexity of the situation, the Commission is in the process of implementing a programme of
cooperation with the dual objectives of, firstly, promoting national reconciliation and reunification and
establishing a democratic transition leading towards free and fair elections and, secondly, improving living
conditions for victims of the conflict.

In view of the urgency, the Commission has already taken all the necessary steps, within the limit of the
available resources, through the humanitarian office ECHO to deal with the difficult situation in DRC
which,
for several years, has in fact been the principal beneficiary of humanitarian aid from the
Commission. The Commission has recently approved a further EUR 35 million aid allocation for 2003.

(2003/C 222 E/233)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0446/03

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(19 February 2003)

Subject: Dolphin death and paired travelling

Is the Commission aware of the enormous public concern over the practice of pair fishing, which leads to
the collateral death of hundreds of dolphins every week? Will the Commission institute a ban on such
fishing during the January to March season when the situation is at its most acute, in the light of Act 12 of
the EU habitats directive, which amongst other things is designated to protect dolphin and harbour
porpoise?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2003)

The Honourable Member is requested to refer to the Commission’s answer to Written Question P-0500/03
by Mr Davies (1).

(1) See page 209.