WRITTEN QUESTION E-3450/03 by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Criteria for fisheries sector structural actions.
Date: 2003-11-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Portugal, Structural Funds, bonus payment, fishing fleet, redevelopment aid, sectoral aid, support policy, terms for aid

C 78 E/286

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(cid:1) to help the most vulnerable, the Member States should promote the social integration of women and
men at risk of facing persistent poverty, for example because they have a disability or belong to a
group experiencing particular integration problems, such as immigrants.

The Commission is currently preparing a draft joint report on social inclusion. This report will assess the
Member States’ national action plans for social inclusion for 2003 and address the situation of people with
disabilities. The Commission’s draft report will form the basis for the joint report that will be adopted by
the Council and the Commission for submission to the Spring European Council in March 2004. The
national action plans are already available at
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/
employment_social/soc-prot/soc-incl/index_en.htm).

the following address:

In the context of the European Year of People with Disabilities (2003), the Commission is funding a study
of the situation of people with disabilities in institutions in Europe,
including in the accession and
candidate countries. The results are expected by the end of 2004.

(2004/C 78 E/0286)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3450/03

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(20 November 2003)

Subject: Criteria for fisheries sector structural actions

in his reply of 7.2.2002 to my question E-3593/01 (1) concerning the fixed
Commissioner Fischler,
premiums for fishermen who had worked in the fleet operating off Morocco, stated that ‘It was felt more
appropriate to direct Community funding towards measures to adjust fleet capacity in line with resources’,
adding that, with regard to Council Regulation EC No 2792/1999 (2) of 17 December 1999, ‘the Member
States can introduce additional conditions in their national legislation, provided that they conform with the
Community rules and regulations on assistance’.

According to the ‘Southern Fisheries Workers’ trade union, the Portuguese Government has not responded
to requests for assistance from the fishermen of Sesimbra, who worked on the vessels ‘Anacleto António’,
‘Castelo Manuel’ and ‘José Leste’, which came under the modernisation/conversion process, and had
submitted their respective applications for fixed individual premiums well before the closing date in 2002,
but who have not yet been informed of the contents of the decision which has apparently been taken on
their applications.

Given the desperate plight of these fishermen, who are still not in receipt of the individual fixed premiums
under the Regulation in question, will the Commission tell me what measures it intends to take to make
good this injustice, and deal with the serious social problems of these Portuguese fishermen?

(1) OJ C 160 E, 4.7.2002, p. 150.
(2) OJ L 337, 30.12.1999, p. 10.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 December 2003)

The previous written question related to Article 12(3)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 (1), which does
not apply to vessels affected by the non-renewal of the agreement with Morocco because they do not meet
the requirements regarding the permanent cessation of fishing activities within the meaning of Article 7 of
that Regulation.

The owners of the vessels referred to in this new question submitted proposals on modernisation and
conversion of activities and these were approved by the Portuguese authorities on 30 June 2003. Also, the
fishermen who worked on board those vessels have submitted applications for individual compensatory
payments.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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As pointed out above, payments for fishermen affected by the permanent cessation of vessel activities are
only eligible for aid from the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) under the conditions laid
down in Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999, i.e. under fishing activity reduction programmes. At
the present time they do not qualify for the special measures under Council Regulation (EC) No 2561/
2001 (2) either, but an amendment of that Regulation is currently being discussed by the Council and it is
possible that some provisions may be changed and become more advantageous for them.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down the detailed rules and arrangements

regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector, OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 2561/2001 of 17 December 2001 aiming to promote the conversion of fishing vessels
and of fishermen that were, up to 1999, dependent on the fishing agreement with Morocco, OJ L 344, 28.12.2001.

(2004/C 78 E/0287)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3458/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 November 2003)

Subject: The final destruction of tropical rainforests and measures to prevent overlogging and imports of

timber without an ecolabel

1.
Is the Commission aware that in recent years the destruction of tropical rainforests in Brazil, central
Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia as a result of fires and clear-cut logging has speeded up very considerably
and that the laws enacted in those countries to protect rainforests are repeatedly circumvented by powerful
corporations or army units which have an interest in timber exports and in gaining possession of
deforested land for other purposes?

Does the Commission realise that Europe will also feel the impact of the climate change partly

2.
caused by this deforestation, so that Europe has a stake in bringing overlogging to an end?

3.
Does the Commission recall that efforts have been made to ensure the availability of tropical
hardwoods by means of planned logging combined with replanting; the timber produced is given an
ecolabel, the aim being to ensure that tropical rainforests and these types of timber will continue to exist
and be available in the future?

4.
Is the Commission aware that, according to Greenpeace, a major proportion (i.e. 50-80 %) of the
tropical hardwood currently imported into the EU has no ecolabel and is thus in all likelihood the product
of overlogging and that most firms which import tropical hardwoods into the EU are not able or willing to
end this practice as long as their competitors continue to flout statutory import bans?

5. Why has the EU market not already been completely closed to tropical hardwoods without an
ecolabel?

Is the Commission prepared to take measures in the immediate future in order to prevent further

6.
imports into the EU of tropical hardwoods with no ecolabel?

Source: Nederland 1 television station, Netwerk, 10 November 2003.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 2004)

The Commission is aware of current deforestation trends in tropical forest areas and agrees that the

1.
reasons for such deforestation include those mentioned by the Honourable Member.

The impact of such rapid deforestation on climate change is a serious concern for Europe, though

2.
not the only concern (cid:1) biodiversity loss being another serious consequence.