Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-11-18-Speech-1-139"
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"en.20021118.7.1-139"2
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".
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to apologise for not having been able to be here earlier. I was given three explanations over a period of time: one was that there were goats on the runway; another, that there were deer on it; and we were told on one occasion that it was occupied by reindeer. We were also told that there was fog, so it was obviously difficult to identify the animals involved.
However, Mr Stevenson, things are not so straightforward that we can only blame the imposition of quotas for the number of fish that are discarded. There are other countries in the world, which have other approaches, impose no quotas and have a problem with discarded fish all the same.
That fish are continuing to be discarded in such a way has to do with all the essential components of fishery.
It certainly has a technical dimension in that fishing gear is not selective enough. It is certainly a problem that, in mixed fishing, the quota for some stocks is reached faster than that for others, even leading to stocks being discarded when we do not want that at all. There is, of course, exactly the same problem with limitation of the fishing effort. If we do not achieve a certain balance of these essential, key elements of managing fishery at all, then we will never get anywhere.
You devote part of your report to the Mediterranean, and demonstrate thoroughness in doing so. Here I am in full agreement with you that the Mediterranean has to be handled differently; that is what tailor-made approaches are all about. The methods that work in the North Sea cannot be applied here: the fishery carried on in the Mediterranean, most of which is artisan in nature, makes the Mediterranean different. It is different because of the narrowness of the continental shelf that is found there. It is different because of the far greater involvement of third states in fishing it. It therefore demands a specific approach.
That is what we have put forward. We also want to cooperate more with the third states that are active in the Mediterranean. This means that we want to be very careful in preparing for enhanced cooperation, and plan to organise, in the second half of next year, a conference under the Italian Presidency, to which we will invite all the states bordering on the Mediterranean, and at which we will be putting forward ideas for joint management and, above all, for improving research.
On the subject of fleet management, let me just reiterate that it is simply not the case that fishermen are obliged to break up their boats. Nobody has been able to produce evidence of it, and nowhere in our drafts is there the requirement that they should do so; all scrapping will be on a voluntary basis. What we do want is that fishermen who actually want to do that should get better support from us than they have had in the past. The decision, though, as to whether or not to scrap a vessel, is one that every fisherman will have to take for himself.
Access to waters and resources involves two issues. I regard access to resources and waters in the outermost regions as a special case, which must therefore be dealt with accordingly. We will investigate the situation in these regions, and will be making appropriate proposals before the end of the coming year. The special restrictions on access to these regions are to remain in force until then.
The issue of access to the North Sea is primarily a legal question, as is that of whether the twelve-nautical-mile zone should be set up on a permanent basis or only for a limited period of time. I would warn against simply saying that there will be a vote on it. An arrangement without limit of time is what is needed. The European Court of Justice will then rule on what is lawful. I believe that we should rely primarily on the Treaty and that it, as in the past, should be the basis for any decision.
The fact is that the relevant provisions of Spain's and Portugal's accession treaties are due to expire, which will initially mean only that these states will also have access to northern waters. I am very well aware that it is the discarding issue that rears its head here. Specifically, the problem has to do with the fact that other species subject to a quota are also caught along with species subject neither to a TAC nor to a quota, so that there is the risk of fish being caught and being thrown back into the sea, despite being in themselves very valuable. We will have to do some in-depth work on this issue, and are ready to do so.
I would also like to say something about the question of monitoring and the implementation of fisheries legislation. I believe that it remains a matter of importance that I re-emphasise that we absolutely need the sector to be involved, which means that the new advisory councils are actually the basis of our future improved cooperation with the sector. It stands to reason that there is no doubt that we will see to it that the agreed sanctions, controls and inspections are actually implemented throughout the EU and in the same manner.
I do not wish to repeat what my fellow-Commissioner Mr Byrne has already told you about the report that has been under discussion. He has enlarged upon what had to be done in consequence of the great and pestilential amount of oil to which, unfortunately, Galicia has fallen victim. It is no doubt evident to all that this is a challenge to Europe. You will be aware that a plan exists, one that the Commission submitted some considerable time ago in connection with the ‘
’ disaster, and which also includes an approach to implementation to which my fellow-Commissioner Mrs de Palacio is giving her very close attention. There is also, associated with this approach, a certain plan for compensation, which is to be put into action in the year ahead.
There are many other issues that I might discuss, but I want to address only one of them – fisheries in the waters of third countries, in regard to which we are working on a communication on fisheries partnerships with third countries, which we will be adopting at the beginning of December. In this communication, you will find much of what you have called for, examples including adherence to the precautionary principle, the justified demands of developing countries for the development of their own fisheries sector, more efficient supervision, and so on. This, I believe, is where we have to go down a new road. There must be no doubt about the fact that we will have to keep on fighting for this mischief with flags of convenience to stop, and, above all, for illegal fishing to be curbed.
I fully endorse what you have to say on aquaculture, and I therefore want to express my gratitude for it. One point – the social issue – remains to be cleared up. If you look at how much public money has been spent to date on social measures, and how much we intend to spend on social measures in future, it will become clear that this reform very definitely has a social dimension.
Let me first, though, state my position on the report by Mr Stevenson, to whom I would like to start by expressing my thanks for its drafting. I would also like to thank the Committee on Fisheries, which has made really great efforts to keep to the tight timetable and enable us to decide on the reform of the common fisheries policy by the end of the year.
I believe that Parliament and the Commission are largely agreed on the fundamental objectives that we have in mind in the fisheries reform, and I am glad that they support the fundamental objectives of the reform. Whilst it is about sustainability, it is also about the sector's competitiveness. It has to do with decent living conditions for all who work in the fishery industry, and in just the same way it involves linking in environmental concerns and, as a primary concern, new ways of managing fishery resources.
I am glad that you support this fundamental approach, even though we no doubt have different views concerning the means we choose to achieve these objectives.
Let me return to a number of specific points. You quite rightly call for better information concerning the state of stocks, and more investment in scientific research into stock development. The Commission has at present a total of EUR 35 million at its disposal for the purposes of research into the fisheries sector. It is with regret that I have to tell you that these resources will be reduced somewhat over the coming years, but, in the context of fisheries research as a whole, we are prepared to inject more funds for the specific purpose of researching the state of stocks and the way they are developing.
In addition to that, we also want to do more research with alternative technical measures, such as the development of new fishing gear, in mind. But let us be honest: research can be based only on accurate data that has been carefully collected. Not the least significant factor underlying our present dilemma with regard to cod is what we have been told by scientists – scientists appointed not by the Commission, but by the Member States. In these matters, the Commission has only the status of an observer. The scientists tell us, though, that in the past, reports of landings and on the composition of catches were sometimes quite simply not accurate, and that misreporting had therefore led to the wrong conclusions being drawn.
I do not want to level accusations at anyone right now, but we must at least acknowledge that this is a problem we also have to solve if we want to come to better conclusions.
Your resolutions on the subject of stock maintenance and fishery management coincide with our approach. Fishery management needs frameworks that are tailor-made for it and that will last for years. These frameworks have to be adapted to the fisheries, operations and stocks in each case and we have to adhere to the precautionary principle. These frameworks also have to ensure that the minimum of fish are discarded."@en1
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