WRITTEN QUESTION E-2053/03 by Anders Wijkman (PPE-DE),Jules Maaten (ELDR), Robert Evans (PSE), Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE)and Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Endangered monk seal.
Date: 2003-06-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, Türkiye, accession to an agreement, accession to the European Union, international convention, national park, protection of animal life, seal

6.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/205

The Commission has no specific information if the consultation procedure, which the Honourable Member
legislation
referred to, took place in this particular case. Any alleged breach of the Member States’
implementing the provisions of Community legislation in a particular Member State is, therefore,
in
principle a matter to be addressed in the first instance to the competent authority of the Member State
concerned.

(2004/C 33 E/208)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2035/03

by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission

(18 June 2003)

Subject: Staff family members as trainees

Has the Commission adopted any rules which preclude relatives of EU employees from applying for
traineeships? If not, why not?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2003)

The Commission’s administrative traineeship programme (Blue Book) is open to all candidates who fulfil
the admission requirements laid down in the rules governing in-service training periods with the European
Commission (Commission Decision of 7 July 1997).

No special treatment (cid:1) favourable or unfavourable (cid:1) is shown to candidates who are relatives of EU
employees.

(2004/C 33 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2053/03

by Anders Wijkman (PPE-DE),
Jules Maaten (ELDR), Robert Evans (PSE), Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE)
and Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Endangered monk seal

(20 June 2003)

The monk seal (Monachus monachus) is probably the most endangered mammal, not only in Europe but
also worldwide. At present, there are fewer than 200 of this particular species of seal living in the coastal
waters of Greece and Turkey. As the monk seal is a migratory species, it can be found as much in Greek as
in Turkish waters.

Countries which are parties to the Berne, Bonn and CITES Conventions are required to protect not only
the plant and animal species referred to in these Conventions but also their biotopes. Furthermore, and
pursuant to the Habitat Directive, the monk seal should have the highest degree of protection. Greece is a
signatory to all the above Conventions, as is Turkey, except for the Bonn Convention.

Greece has, at least in part, fulfilled its obligations with regard to the protection of the monk seal by
creating the Northern Sporades Maríne National Park and protected zones around a number of islands in
the Aegean.

The Turkish Ministry for the Environment has proposed the creation of five coastal national parks for the
protection of the monks seal, but over the years, as a result of resistance from the Turkish Ministries of
Tourism and Public Works, the actual establishment of these fully protected areas has again and again been
postponed.

The Commission has, in recent decades, been in the vanguard of movements to protect the monk seal.

C 33 E/206

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

Since Turkey is not a signatory to the Bonn Convention, a situation which impedes protection of the
1.
monk seal in the Aegean Sea, is the Commission willing to approach the Turkish authorities and ask them
to sign up to the Convention?

Is the Commission willing to approach the Turkish Government with a request that it officially
2.
establish the five coastal national parks and take the steps required to protect the monk seal within its
boundaries?

Is the Commission willing to step up the political pressure required to ensure that the Turkish

3.
authorities give a positive answer to the two previous questions?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 August 2003)

Monk Seal ‘Monachus monachus’ is granted the status of Species of Community Interest in need of strict
protection and requiring the designation of special areas of conservation under the ‘Habitats Directive’ (1)
listed in its Annexes II and IV.

Member States are obliged by the ‘Habitats Directive’ to implement several measures in order to guarantee
a favourable status of conservation of this species. Most of the sites proposed in the Union for the
protection of this species are situated in the Mediterranean Sea, namely in Greece.

Turkey, as a Candidate Country, is urged to align its national legislation on nature protection, as well as to
implement in advance the Habitats Directive … The transposition and implementation of the environ-
mental acquis is part of the revised Accession Partnership with Turkey (2), and this issue will be mentioned,
as appropriate,
in the context of accession talks relating to the environmental acquis. However, since
negotiations have not yet been opened with Turkey, the Commission is not in a position to specify a date
by which it would require compliance with such engagements. In the course of 2003 the Commission will
organise working level meetings with Turkish Authorities. Nature protection is one of the suggested Topics
for these meetings, and opportunity will therefore be provided for increased dialogue on this and other
topics related to nature protection.

Regarding in particular the protection of the species ‘Monachus monachus’ under international
law, it
should be noted that Turkey is already a party to the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the
Maríne Environment and the Coastal region of the Mediterranean, as the Community is. Turkey has also
signed the Specially Protected Areas and Biodiversity Protocol to this Convention, and therefore adheres to
the Action Plan for the Management of the Mediterranean Monk Seal that was adopted under the auspices
of this Convention. In this framework Turkey is obliged to report to the Convention about the activities
undertaken to implement this Action Plan.

It should be recalled that the Community is already a party to a number of International Conventions and
Agreements dealing with the protection of Biodiversity. Consequently,
the Community applies the
decisions taken in these fora, where appropriate. Thus, Member States must comply with the Community
legislation including those provisions adopted internationally.

The Commission takes due note of the concerns expressed by the Honourable Members, and will raise this
matter at the time of preparing the Community position in the meetings of the multilateral agreements to
which both the Community and Turkey are a Contracting Party.

The Commission also points out that, in the ongoing enlargement process, the Community is ensuring that
the ten new Member States become Parties to the various environmental agreements to which the
Community is a Party, in accordance with the principle of unity of action and representation expressed by
the European Court of Justice.

(1) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,

OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 145, 12.6.2003.