WRITTEN QUESTION P-2811/03 by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission. Situation of the Mauritanian fishing ground.
Date: 2003-09-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Mauritania, common fisheries policy, conservation of fish stocks, cooperation policy, financial compensation of an agreement, fishery management, fishing agreement, fishing area

C 78 E/172

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(cid:1) less tear and wear of the road network

(cid:1) lower transport costs and thus lower prices for consumers

More specifically, in a study made by the Swedish Road Administration (Vägverket) in connection with the
so-called Extra Project it was concluded that the large trucks make unnecessary approximately one third of
journeys and reduce total costs by 23 %.

Already now modular solutions (motor vehicle coupled to two modules of 13,6 m and 7,82 m) are
allowed in the EU. However, for the better functioning of the internal market it would be logical to permit
the use of the Finnish and Swedish types in the entire EU. Naturally there may be roads where such long
combinations prove difficult but this should obviously not preclude their use on the rest of the road
network.

Does the Commission acknowledge the benefits of the truck lengths used in Finland and Sweden and

1.
the market inefficiencies the current system leads to?

If it does, how and when will the Commission act in order to ensure that these benefits are extended

2.
to the rest of the European Union?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(10 October 2003)

The Commission is aware of the fact that the use of long vehicles could contribute to a more efficient
transport of goods. Although the modular concept is allowed in the Union, Member States have not made
any use of this possibility except for some limited experiments such as in the Netherlands. Reasons could
be that it is not yet clear how such vehicles will impact on road safety under different traffic and road
conditions nor how their use would affect the distribution of the transport of goods between the various
modes.

The Commission has the intention to organise a meeting in the beginning of 2004 with Member States’
experts in the field of vehicle weights and dimensions to discuss the need for any change to the existing
related Community legislation.

(2004/C 78 E/0177)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2811/03

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(18 September 2003)

Subject: Situation of the Mauritanian fishing ground

In its communication on an integrated framework for fisheries partnership agreements with third
countries (1) and in the Green Paper on reform of the CFP, the Commission emphasises the development
cooperation component which these international fisheries agreements must contain.

Development cooperation should not mean that fishing agreements become unbalanced, with financial
compensation far exceeding the value of catch possibilities, but that the Community and European firms
fishery
should transfer technology and know-how to developing countries so that
resources increase in value. This means that third countries must properly regulate the exploitation of
fishery resources so that their fleets also practise sustainable fishing.

those countries’

At present, however, genuine fisheries development cooperation is not taking place, particularly in relation
to the main agreement with Mauritania, and the Commission is not exerting pressure on the other party,
i.e. the Mauritanian Government, to guarantee the proper sustainable management of fishery resources.
The result is that the Community fleet cannot catch the quotas granted under the agreement and the
agreement is therefore not profitable for Community firms, which have to pay a large fee and subsequently
find that, owing to Mauritania’s failure to ensure the sustainable management of resources, there are not
sufficient resources available.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Large numbers of launches, canoes and other vessels fish for octopus with traps in breeding grounds close
to the beaches. Numerous Chinese vessels fish under the Mauritanian flag or in fictitious joint ventures
without respecting the most basic principles of responsible fishing. Fifteen Dutch supertrawlers authorised
to catch pelagic species use enormous nets reaching from the surface to the sea bed and scoop up
everything in their path … The small-scale artisanal fleet wreaks havoc in the breeding grounds and
destroys stocks, while the industrial fleet complies with the requirements of sustainable fishing.

Is the Commission aware of these facts? Has it expressed its concern at the deterioration in the fishing
ground to the Mauritanian Government? What steps will the Commission take to cooperate with the
Mauritanian authorities on the responsible management of fishery resources?

(1) COM(2002) 637 final.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(23 October 2003)

In its Communication on an integrated framework for fisheries partnership agreements with third
countries (1) the Commission recalled the need to ensure coherence between the international aspects of
the CFP and those of other Community policies. In the same document it points out that the primary
objective of the external side of the CFP is to protect the legitimate interests of European fishermen and
seek new alliances and partnerships (through partnership agreements) with developing countries. Such
level,
agreements must in future be considered as a contribution by the Community at international
through political dialogue with the country or countries concerned, to achievement of sustainable and
responsible fishing.

As the Honourable Member quite rightly points out, the Community’s financial contribution under these
agreements will therefore have to be based on an assessment of what needs to be done, in concert with the
country, to achieve responsible and sustainable fishing in the waters under its jurisdiction that also
provides genuine opportunities for Community fishermen.

The agreement with Mauritania to which the Honourable Member refers was signed in 1998 and last
renewed in 2001, hence predates the abovementioned Communication and reform of the CFP. It does
however incorporate a contribution to responsible fishing by including Community financing for directly
identified action on management, conservation and surveillance of fishing activities and to develop local
small-scale fishing, though strictly speaking this cannot be classed as a real political dialogue as intended
by the Communication on partnership agreements, since the present agreement makes no provision for
the necessary consultative and decision-taking mechanism.

In the last few months the question of pressure on resources in the waters under Mauritanian jurisdiction
has been raised several times, notably at meetings of scientific experts in Mauritania in June. In October
the experts confirmed that at the moment cephalopod stocks are in decline but stated that the other stocks
are in good condition. The Commission has recently been informed of repeated infringements by
Community vessels exporting octopus stocks that are endangering renewal of this resource.

It is incorrect however to speak of ‘quotas’, since the agreement only provides for access rights and the
Mauritanian Government as sovereign power offers no exclusive access to European vessels.

The Commission shares the Honourable Member’s awareness of the importance of sustainable manage-
ment of the resources in the waters under Mauritanian jurisdiction. It has already put its concerns on the
agenda for the next meeting in December of the EC-Mauritania Joint Committee so that more attention
can be paid to them in future.

(1) COM(2002) 637 final.