WRITTEN QUESTION P-2656/03 by Josu Ortuondo Larrea (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Fisheries agreement between Spain and France — Arcachon Accord.
Date: 2003-09-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, Spain, catch quota, exchange of information, fishing agreement, fishing regulations, sea fish

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/127

(2004/C 70 E/129)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2656/03

by Josu Ortuondo Larrea (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(2 September 2003)

Subject: Fisheries agreement between Spain and France (cid:1) ‘Arcachon Accord’

The press has recently reported on the agreement reached by way of an exchange of letters between the
Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods and its French counterpart, establishing an annual
extension of the Arcachon Accord of 1992.

From what we are told, Spain has undertaken, under this extension agreement, to make an annual
exchange with France, before 1 June each year, of a quota of 6 000 tonnes of anchovies. This figure could
be revised upwards on the basis of changes in the catches taken by each country.

Given the importance of the Arcachon Accord owing to its economic and social consequences, particularly
for the Basque fisheries sector:

(cid:1) Has the Commission received, pursuant

to Articles 20(3) and 20(5) of Council Regulation (EC)
No 2371/2002 (1) on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the
Common Fisheries Policy, the relevant communication from Spain on the method of allocating, for
vessels flying its flag, the fishing opportunities assigned to it in accordance with Community law, as
well as the prior notifications from Spain and France of the exchange of fishing opportunities
established under the Arcachon Accord and the latest annual extension to it?

(cid:1) Could the Commission inform me of the precise content, in full, of the Arcachon Accord and the
latest annual extension to it, and of the allocation method used by Spain to distribute the fishing
opportunities assigned to it among vessels flying its flag, in the light of the agreements reached with
France and in accordance with Community legislation?

(1) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 59.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 2003)

The Commission is not aware of the agreement referred to in the Honourable Member’s question. As a
result, the Commission is unable to come to any conclusions as regards the validity of the terms of the
agreement under Community law, nor is it able to provide a copy.

To date, Spain has not
opportunities assigned to it.

informed the Commission of

the method used for allocating the fishing

The annual quotas for each Member State for 2003 were allocated in Council Regulation (EC) No 2341/
2002 of 20 December 2002 fixing for 2003 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain
fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in
waters where catch limitations are required (1). Article 4 of that Regulation takes account of the possibility
of exchanges being made between the Member States.

Thus, on 18 March 2003 Spain notified the Commission of the transfer of 9 000 tonnes (in zone VIII) to
France (the same quantity as in 2002), which thus increased its annual quota.

C 70 E/128

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

Also, Commission Regulation (EC) No 728/2003 of 25 April 2003 adapting certain fish quotas for 2003
pursuant
to Council Regulation (EC) No 847/96 introducing additional conditions for year-to-year
management of TACs and quotas (2) allows a maximum of 10 % of the quota for the previous year to be
transferred to the current year.

The quota transfer requested (for zone VIII) was 1 992 tonnes in the case of Spain and 1 050 tonnes in the
case of France.

(1) OJ L 83, 1.4.2003.
(2) OJ L 105, 26.4.2003.

(2004/C 70 E/130)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2685/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 September 2003)

Subject: Development of workshops in Greek technical education (cid:1) Action 5.2 of the second Operational

Programme for Education and Initial Vocational Training in the third CSF

In Greece’s technical schools there are 13 sections with 40 areas of expertise operating at the first level of
studies and another 40 areas of expertise at the second level. In its reply to my question E-1208/03 (1),
the Commission said that ‘during the first two years of implementation of the operational programme, an
amount of EUR 4 440 000 000 was spent on the procurement of basic workshop equipment’.

Could the Commission answer the following questions:

(a) What type of workshop equipment was the above-mentioned EUR 4 440 000 000 spent on?

(b) Which areas of expertise and sectors did the above-mentioned workshop equipment cover?

(c) Since there are many different types of workshop, did the specifications under which the workshop
equipment was provided relate to basic workshop equipment per workshop (e.g. types and number) or
were there detailed specifications for the various types of workshop, approved by the Educational
Institute and the Ministry of Education?

(d) What stage has been reached in the training of trainers and the development of educational and

training tools for the specialised workshops in technical schools?

(e) Who is the final beneficiary of the project, given the fact that this has not yet been announced by the

special managing authority?

(1) OJ C 11 E, 15.1.2004, p. 166.

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 2003)

The Honourable Member is informed that the Greek authorities have provided information confirming that
the sum of EUR 4 440 000 000 for the procurement of basic workshop equipment is not, in fact, co-
financed by the Community through the operational programme ‘Education and initial vocational training’
or any other operational programme. This represents a correction to the information provided to the
Commission by these authorities in the context of the reply to the Honourable Member’s written question
E-1208/03. This means that the entire amount has been exclusively funded through the national budget.