European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 850/98 as regards the protection of deep-water coral reefs from the effects of trawling in certain areas of the Atlantic Ocean (COM(2004)0058 — C5-0074/2004 — 2004/0020(CNS))
Date: 2004-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean, conservation of fish stocks, fishery resources, fishing area, fishing net, fishing regulations, marine ecosystem

C 226 E/344

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.9.2005

Thursday 16 December 2004

P6_TA(2004)0107

Extension of the Community action programme in the field of civil protection *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council decision amending Deci-
sion 1999/847/EC as regards the extension of the Community action programme in the field of civil
protection (COM(2004)0512 — C6-0111/2004 — 2004/0162(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2004)0512) (1),

— having regard to Article 308 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament

(C6-0111/2004),

— having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

(A6-0050/2004),

Approves the Commission proposal;

Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substan-

1.

2.

3.
tially;

Asks the Commission to present a report to the European Parliament and the Council by 30 June

4.
2006, with an evaluation of the extended Community action programme in the field of civil protection;

5.

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.

(1) Not yet published in OJ.

P6_TA(2004)0108

Protection of deep-water coral reefs from the effects of trawling in certain areas
of the Atlantic Ocean *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regu-
lation (EC) No 850/98 as regards the protection of deep-water coral reefs from the effects of trawl-
ing in certain areas of the Atlantic Ocean (COM(2004)0058 — C5-0074/2004 — 2004/0020(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2004)0058) (1),

— having regard to Article 37 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament

(C5-0074/2004),

— having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries and the opinion of the Committee on the

Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A6-0037/2004),

(1) Not yet published in OJ.

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Thursday 16 December 2004

Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substan-

1.

2.

3.

4.
tially;

5.

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 1
RECITAL 1a (new)

(1a)
Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 also stipu-
lates that the principles of good governance by which the
Common Fisheries Policy should be guided include a decision-
making process based on sound scientific advice and broad
involvement of stakeholders at all stages. This implies that
the Regional Advisory Councils shall be consulted on the
management of fisheries in those areas where Community
measures addressing conservation and management are pro-
posed.

Amendment 2
RECITAL 3a (new)

(3a)
The protection of these areas from the adverse impact
of fishing is entirely consistent with, and required under, Arti-
cles 5 and 6 of the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement (*), in
particular the provisions requiring the application of the pre-
cautionary approach and the protection of biodiversity in the
marine environment.

(*) OJ L 189, 3.7.1998, p. 17.

Amendment 3
RECITAL 4

(4)
According to scientific evidence, recovery from damage
to these habitats produced by trawl gear towed through the
It is
bottom is either impossible or very difficult and slow.
therefore appropriate to prohibit the use of bottom trawls and
similar gear in areas where these habitats are still in a favour-
able conservation status.

(4)
According to scientific evidence, recovery from damage
to these habitats produced by trawl gear towed through the
It is
bottom is either impossible or very difficult and slow.
therefore appropriate to prohibit the use of fishing gear likely
to cause real damage to coral reefs in areas where these
habitats are still in a favourable conservation status.

Amendment 7
ARTICLE 1
Article 30, paragraph 4, introduction (Regulation (EC) No 850/98)

4.
Vessels shall be prohibited from using any bottom trawl
or similar towed nets operating in contact with the bottom of
the sea in the areas bounded by a line joining the following
coordinates:

4.
The use of fishing gear likely to cause actual damage to
coral reefs and their habitats, in particular bottom trawl, bot-
tom set gillnets or similar towed nets operating in contact with
the bottom of the sea shall be prohibited in the areas bounded
by a line joining the following coordinates:

C 226 E/346

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.9.2005

Thursday 16 December 2004

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 4
ARTICLE 1
Article 30, paragraph 4a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 850/98)

The Regional Advisory Councils shall be consulted on

4a.
the implementation of paragraph 4.

Amendment 5
ARTICLE 1
Article 30, paragraph 4b (new) (Regulation (EC) No 850/98)

4b.
The ban laid down in paragraph 4 and the definition of
coordinates contained in points (a) and (b) thereof shall be
reviewed, in the light of new scientific information available,
two years after its entry into force.

Amendment 8
ARTICLE 1
Article 30, paragraph 4c (new) (Regulation (EC) No 850/98)

4c.
By 31 December 2005 the Commission shall present to
the European Parliament and the Council a report assessing
the conservation status of other areas of similarly sensitive
deep water habitats in EU waters. On the basis of this report
the Council shall decide on any necessary additions to the list
contained in paragraph 4.

P6_TA(2004)0109

Strategic political orientations

European Parliament resolution on the strategic political orientations of the Barroso Commission

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its decision of 22 July 2004 electing José Manuel Durão Barroso President of the

Commission,

— having regard to its decision of 18 November 2004 electing the nominated European Commission (1)

for the period 22 November 2004 to 31 October 2009,

— having regard to its resolution of 18 November 2004 on the election of the new Commission (2),

— having regard to the current framework agreement on relations between the European Parliament and

the Commission, approved by the Conference of Presidents on 29 June 2000,

— having regard to the commitments made by the Commission on legislative programming and the

associated timetable approved by the Conference of Presidents on 30 January 2002,

— having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2004)0064.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2004)0063.