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 Satellite personal communications ***I (procedure without report) |
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(Codecision procedure: first reading) The proposal was approved. | ||||
| Common fisheries policy: collection and management of fisheries data * |
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The proposal was amended as follows:
(Consultation procedure) - having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(1999) 541 )(2) , - having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 37 of the EC Treaty (C5-0302/1999 ), - having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure, - having regard to the report of the ommittee on Fisheries (A5-0038/2000 ), 1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended; 2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty; 3. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 4. Calls for the conciliation procedure to be initiated should the Council intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 5. Asks to be consulted again if the Council intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially; 6. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.
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| Common fisheries policy: data collection, studies and pilot projects * |
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The proposal was amended as follows:
(Consultation procedure) - having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(1999) 551 ), - having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 37 of the EC Treaty (C5-0303/1999 ), - having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure, - having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A5-0037/2000 ), 1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended; 2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty; 3. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 4. Calls for the conciliation procedure to be initiated should the Council intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 5. Asks to be consulted again if the Council intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially; 6. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Control of fish diseases * |
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The proposal was amended as follows:
(Consultation procedure) - having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(1999) 437 (2) ), - having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 37 of the EC Treaty (C5-0168/1999 ), - having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure, - having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A5-0036/2000 ), 1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended; 2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty; 3. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 4. Asks to be consulted again if the Council intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially; 5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.
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| Protection of juveniles of marine organisms * |
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The proposal was approved.
(Consultation procedure) - having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(1999) 552 ), - having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 37 of the EC Treaty (C5-0040/2000 ), - having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure, - having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A5-0035/2000 ), 1. Approves the Commission proposal; 2. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 3. Asks to be consulted again if the Council intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially; 4. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission. | |||||||||||||
| Insolvency proceedings * |
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The initiative was amended as follows:
(Consultation procedure) - having regard to the initiative of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Finland (9178/1999)(2) , - having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 61(c) and Article 67(1) of the EC Treaty (C5-0069/1999 ), - having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure, - having regard to the report of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market and the opinion of the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs (A5-0039/2000 ), 1. Approves the initiative as amended; 2. Calls on the Council to alter the initiative accordingly; 3. If the Council intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament, calls on the Council to notify Parliament; 4. Asks to be consulted again if the Council intends to amend the initiative substantially; 5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council.
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| Women in decision-making |
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The European Parliament, - having regard to Articles 2, 3(2), 13, 137(1) fifth indent, and 141 of the EC Treaty, - having regard to International Women's Day to be celebrated on 8 March 2000, - recalling that the celebration of International Women's Day every 8 March was initiated in Copenhagen in 1910, - having regard to its resolutions based on reports from the Committee on Women's Rights and the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities since 1984, and especially its resolution of 11 February 1994(1) on women in decision-making bodies, containing proposals for an action programme, - having regard to the 1993 Vienna conference on human rights and the Platform for Action following the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing on 15 September 1995, - having regard to the seventh critical area of that Conference, where governments promised to ensure women's equal access to and full participation in power structure and decision-making, - having regard to the Council Resolution of 27 March 1995 and the Council Recommendation 96/694 of 2 December 1996 on the balanced participation of women and men in the decision-making process, - having regard to the Ministerial Declaration of 17 April 1999 in Paris on women and men in power, A. whereas the Commission is due to submit a report on the balanced participation of women and men in the decision-making process, in accordance with the request in the abovementioned Council Recommendation, B. whereas improving gender balance in public and private decision-making bodies across the European Union must overcome both the belated recognition of female suffrage and entrenched attitudes and behaviour in society at large which requires improving awareness, providing training for women who aspire to positions of responsibílity and facilitating their access to such positions, C. whereas public and private institutions should set targets for correcting any gender imbalance; and whereas a reasonable target should be set at 40% participation whereby performance can be compared on an annual basis, as is currently the case with the employment guidelines, D. deeply regretting that inequality and gender discrimination and under-representation of women still persist in politics and in public and private institutions, in Europe and worldwide, in spite of a large number of political statements and recommendations, programmes and projects and specific legislation introduced at European and national level, E. noting that higher participation of women in political life is often explained by the systems of proportional representation applied in those countries, F. whereas the Amsterdam Treaty made significant progress in recognising positive action as a legitimate means to eliminate inequality between women and men in the workplace, G. noting that women continue to receive less pay than men for work of equal value, despite the fact that a directive establishing the principle of equal pay was adopted more than 25 years ago, are to be found more often than men in jobs characterised by irregular status and less security and take the bulk of family responsibility, while in professional life the decision-making function remains for the most part in the hands of men, H. welcoming the growing number of female Members of the European Parliament, who account for approximately 30% of the Members elected in July 1999, as opposed to 27% of those elected in 1994; welcoming also the fact that for the second time since the first direct elections in 1979 the European Parliament has elected a woman as its President; I. noting that women are still under-represented in decision-making bodies at all levels and in all EU Institutions, for example in the European Parliament where women represent only 20 per cent of all administrators, 22 per cent of the Directors, 15 per cent of the Heads of Division and are not represented at all at Director-General level, J. noting that although a large quantity of statistics on mapping has been produced, significant gaps remain, especially with regard to women's roles in economic decision-making, K. whereas the persisting under-representation of women - who represent over half of the population - in the political, economic and social areas is unacceptable in a democracy, L. deeply regretting that women - major victims of human rights violations such as rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence, trafficking in human beings etc. - are under-represented on judiciary and legislative bodies judging on the crimes mentioned and deciding on legal provisions, with the consequence that little or no priority is given to these crimes often resulting in the non-prosecution of offenders, even those who are known, M. deeply regretting that the voices of women - who are among the major victims of armed conflicts - are absent from key decisions on peace-keeping efforts and from the design of post-conflict reconstruction programmes, N. convinced that women holding decision-making positions on an equal footing with men is a necessary condition not only for successfully putting an end to inequalities, gender discrimination and violence against women but for the benefit of the functioning of society as a whole, 1. Reiterates its abovementioned resolution of 11 February 1994; 2. Requests the Commission to present before the end of the year a report on action actually taken and the result in statistical terms where appropriate, considering that six years have elapsed since the abovementioned resolution was adopted; 3. Notes that the use of quotas as a transitional measure helps to even up the involvement of men and women in political life and calls for the provision of political training and information for women candidates by the parties so that they can take up political life with full confidence; 4. Urges the Member States to seek actively to reach a more balanced participation of women and men in all the EU institutions; 5. Welcomes the Commission's intention to present a proposal for a Fifth Action Programme on Equal Opportunities; 6. Recalls that gender mainstreaming is a long-term transformative strategy which involves large-scale re-education about policy design and delivery and that it should be used to complement positive action measures ; 7. Notes the Commission's intention to promote women's participation in its committees and working groups and its commitments to increase the number of women in decision-making within its administration; 8. Calls on the Commission to make it a priority to improve the statistical data base to establish and maintain a full set of regularly updated statistics on women in decision-making throughout the EU; 9. Concludes that both men and women are necessary in the decision-making process while the special qualities of both sexes are complementary, which can only lead to better management; 10. Calls on the Member States to promote training for executives and leaders - men as well as women - in order to promote non-discriminatory working relationships; 11. Calls on the Member States to introduce capacity development with government agencies with a view to advancing career development for women; 12. Calls on the social partners to promote balanced participation by women and men in positions of responsibility and decision-making and, in order to achieve this, to take the necessary steps in the recruitment and professional training of their representatives in the various bodies of the social dialogue; 13. Calls on the Commission to use the existing Treaty provisions to encourage governments to develop and implement policies and programmes to establish gender balance in decision-making bodies and in the bodies and delegations involved in the enlargement process; 14. Calls on Member States to increase the number of women participating in peace-keeping, peace-making, peace-building and conflict-preventing activities with which Member States collaborate; instructs its competent committee to pay special attention to the role of women in these fields, and to make recommendations towards the mainstreaming of gender considerations into all aspects of conflict resolution; 15. Expects that the position defined by the European Union and the NGOs will play an important role in the forthcoming UN Conference on the follow-up of the Platform for Action " Beijing plus five " in New York next June and that this will be decisively implemented by governments in order to fulfil their commitments through concrete measures; 16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the other EU institutions and bodies, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.
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| Annual economic report |
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The European Parliament, - having regard to the Commission document (C5-0081/2000 ), - having regard to the Commission report on the review of the single facility providing medium-term financial assistance for Member States' balances of payments (COM(1999) 628 ), - having regard to Articles 99 and 104 of the EC Treaty, - having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1466/97 of 7 July 1997 on the strengthening of the surveillance of budgetary positions and the surveillance and coordination of economic policies(1) , - having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure, - having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A5-0041/2000 ), A. whereas the launch of the Euro is a determining event in the integration process of Europe, in the formation of its home market, the unification of its financial markets and the strengthening of its international position, thus defining a new regime for economic policy and broader policies for attaining the objectives of the Treaty, B. whereas the control of inflation, the stabilisation of public finances and wage moderation achieved in all Member States are positive developments which, taken together with internal monetary stability, amount to a very significant relaxation of certain important constraints that have so far impeded growth in Europe, C. having regard to the risks of deflation arising from an excessively restrictive monetary and fiscal policy, which mainly pursues the objective of price stability, D. contrasting the stabilisation of public finances with factors which might destabilise the economy as a whole, such as excessive indebtedness of the public sector, or potential fall-out from a collapse of overvalued capital markets, E. appreciating the fact that clear signs of a renewed recovery have emerged faster than anticipated in the European economy since the second quarter of 1999 and that GDP growth is expected to accelerate from the close-to-potential rate of 2.1% in 1999 to 3% in both 2000 and 2001; if not frustrated by adverse international developments, this trend opens a window of opportunity for the European economy to continue to increase its growth, provided that the right policy measures are implemented, F. whereas the policy of stabilisation adopted by the Union has proven to be right and should therefore be pursued while emphasising the necessity to make employment a priority for European policy, G. whereas this forecast of accelerating growth of about 3% when set against the background of the sluggish average rate of real GDP growth of 1.9% which prevailed in the 1990s should be regarded with guarded optimism, H. whereas unemployment, having reached historical highs of above 11 % in many Member States in 1997, is forecast to fall to 9.2% in 1999 in the EU as a whole; whereas, however, high unemployment, a low labour force participation rate and the lack of flexibility in the labour market remain key problems in the EU, I. recalling the Commission's earlier estimate of 1995 that, under standard productivity and demographic evolution assumptions, a sustained 3-3.5% growth over five years is required for the unemployment rate to be reduced to around 7% of the active population, which clearly shows that growth alone cannot pave the way to full employment, J. whereas any strategy to foster growth has to respect environmental sustainability, in particular the Kyoto commitments undertaken by the EU, K. whereas entrepreneurship, as measured by the fast rise and growth of technologically advanced enterprises, does not match the scientific and technological potential available in Europe and remains dangerously behind the corresponding entrepreneurial mobilisation evident in the US, L. whereas the average cost of setting up an enterprise in Europe is EUR 1600, as opposed to EUR 500 in the United States, and the average time required for setting up an enterprise in the EU is 11 weeks, while it is one and a half weeks in the United States, M. whereas short-term economic developments in Europe coincide with the world-wide onset of a technological revolution leading to a knowledge-based global economy; these new challenges impose the need for corresponding structural changes in economic organisation, in the labour process and in wage-setting mechanisms, as well as a re-balancing of the relationship between the public and the private sector, N. whereas policy-makers will have to respond to these new developments by creating optimum conditions to enable the private sector to adjust fully to these repeatedly changing economic conditions so as to allow entrepreneurs likewise to keep one step ahead of developments - and hence of their competitors - by means of innovation and creative entrepreneurship, which requires the formulation of a new political project involving a dynamically targeted economic policy, O. whereas a new strategic goal must involve an integrated programme of strengthening and modernising education at all levels, of re-inforcing entrepreneurship, of initiating and/or modernising basic infrastructure through projects of European interest conducive to increasing the productivity of the entire EU economy, P. whereas larger private investments in Europe must be encouraged by improvements to the investment climate and the creation of a dynamic enterprise culture, including a structural reform of the labour market, less red tape, improved access to venture capital for SMEs and a further opening of markets, Q. whereas such a project can only succeed as a result of joint action at Union level, energetic leadership by the European institutions, strengthening of solidarity and mobilisation of the vast majority of the population and that this must be clearly beneficial to all in the context of a social market economy, 1. States that the recovery of the European economy in terms of GDP growth and company profits is well under way, while unemployment remains unacceptably high and income inequalities and poverty are growing; 2. Calls upon the Council, in setting the Broad Economic Guidelines, to formulate policies, including microeconomic policies, designed to achieve full employment which are consistent with stable prices and a balanced budget over the whole economic cycle; 3. Recalls that attainment of the objective of full employment depends on more sustained growth, as borne out by international and European experience, and that this growth must be supported by an economic and fiscal policy favourable to investment, particularly on the part of small and medium-sized enterprises, by a wage policy which reflects productivity gains and by a reduction in the rigidity which still characterises labour legislation in too many Member States; 4. Believes that an improved investment climate is instrumental to the achievement of higher growth and recommends that the excessive administrative burden of starting and running businesses is alleviated, that markets are opened further, and that a structural reform of labour markets is undertaken; 5. Finds it particularly important to prevent youth unemployment and long-term unemployment; insists that more is done to give the unemployed enhanced possibilities and incentives to find another job quickly, including training or retraining in order to become more employable; 6. Recognises that public sector infrastructure spending may have positive effects on private sector activity; notes that such investment should be undertaken on its own merits, having been tested against suitable rates of social and market return, and should not be undertaken as an instrument of demand management, when experience proves that it may be counterproductive; 7. Calls on the Commission to introduce Community support measures for associations of SMEs, as a way of improving the competitiveness and level of organisation of SMEs; such associations can provide various support services to their members, such as credit centralisation, information and legal support services; 8. Requests the ECOFIN Council to reconsider its reluctance to pursue energetically the improvement of European infrastructure and in view of the progress of privatisation, of scientific advances and of technological innovation that has taken place, to update the TENs programme proposed in the Commission's 1994 White Paper on "Growth, Competitiveness and Employment” and to provide for its financing by means of Eurobonds issued by the European Investment Bank; 9. Requests the Commission and Council to increase their efforts to make the Trans-European Networks connect the present EU Member States and candidate countries in central, eastern and southern Europe and other neighbouring countries, particularly Russia and North Africa, stating that TENs are of particular strategic importance to future growth and to integration between different parts of Europe and its neighbours; 10. Calls on the Commission and Council to strengthen modern Information Technology Highways and networks within the programme of Trans-European Networks in order to give Europe the best IT infrastructure in the world; 11. Calls on the Council and the Commission to lend active support to the scientific community and industry in the formation of a common European research space, supported by increased spending on R&D to a level similar to that in countries with a comparable level of development; 12. Asks the Commission to accelerate implementation of its action plan on venture capital, integration of financial markets and SMEs, strongly encouraging the rapid development of technologically dynamic small companies into major, world-class enterprises, and to treat the definitive formulation and prompt introduction of a European company statute as an optional alternative vehicle for incorporation as a matter of priority; 13. Calls on the Council and Commission to do everything in their power to render the European patent application process quicker, simpler, more efficient and cheaper, in order to improve the competitiveness of European inventions and hence Europe's prospects for the future; insists, however, on better provisions to secure full respect for ethical standards and consumer interests; 14. Requests the Commission and Council to propose legislation for setting up a special European research fund to which the accumulated unspent surplus earnings of the European Steel and Coal Community, which will be wound up in 2002, should be dedicated; 15. Asks the Commission to propose an Action Plan on, and thus pursue energetically, the transition from the existing internal common market to a seamless European home market, to remove any remaining obstacles and to ensure strict application of the Competition Policy to such a market, while taking into account Parliament's position on a reform of Competition Policy as expressed in its resolutions of 18 January 2000 on the 1998 competition report(2) and on the report on state aid(3) ; 16. Looks to the Member States to review their tax, contributions, and benefits systems in order to reduce the burden on labour as a factor of production; 17. Calls on the Member States to simplify the Luxembourg, Cardiff and Cologne processes, in order to ensure greater effectiveness and transparency as regards the general public; 18. Believes that efforts must be undertaken urgently to achieve effective coordination of macroeconomic, employment and social policy; calls on the Member States to develop a social convergence process along the lines of the European employment strategy, including European guidelines, benchmarks, exchange of comparable data and national action plans on poverty and social exclusion; 19. Urges the Commission to include proposals for resources to implement the ideas of the eEurope initiative, especially regarding education, infrastructure and broad public access to the Internet; 20. Requests the Council to respond creatively to the Presidency's initiative of defining a new economic and political strategy capable of taking such advantage of the innovation process in a knowledge-based economy so as to transform Europe into the world's most dynamic area; 21. Asks the Commission and the Council, taking into account the changes in skills dictated by emergent technologies to introduce quantitative targets of youth training as well as retraining for long-term unemployed workers, to which Member States will bind themselves to converge over a fixed time period; 22. Asks the Commission to initiate studies of the process of, and the institutions for, the negotiation of terms of employment in the various Member States in order to evaluate whether they are conducive to a flexible labour market, which will promote employment, both in current conditions as well as in the conditions of the developing knowledge-based economy; 23. Calls on the Commission to commission an annual report on the economic and social situation in the EU from independent European economic researchers, to be submitted to the European Parliament; the report should also take account of the European impact of national policy measures, in order to improve the necessary coordination of European economic policies; 24. Calls on the Council and Commission to eliminate the democratic deficit in economic and employment policy-making by means of an interinstitutional agreement involving the European Parliament fully in decision-making on the broad outlines of economic policy and the economic policy guidelines; 25. Requests the Council to take proper account of the risks implicit in the overvaluation of capital markets pointed out in the Commission's Report and to mandate the Commission to initiate negotiations with the G7 Council in order to formulate appropriate policies and take prompt measures for increasing transparency and combating the speculative element in the activities of global finance; 26. Recognises the relationship between education and opportunities for long-term economic growth, and calls on the Commission to urge all Member States to ensure that general educational standards are improved, and that all children leave school prepared for life and the world of work and ready to participate in the shaping of our community; 27. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.
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| Fisheries and environment (Bergen, 13-14 March 1997): second report |
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The European Parliament, - having regard to the Commission's second report to the Council and European Parliament (COM(1999) 270 - C5-0156/1999 ), - having regard to the conclusions of the intermediate ministerial meeting on the integration of fisheries and environmental issues held on 13 and 14 March 1997 in Bergen, - having regard to its resolution of 10 March 1999(1) on the communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: report on the implementation of the "statement of conclusions from the intermediate ministerial meeting on the integration of fisheries and environmental issues, 13-14 March 1997 in Bergen" (COM(1998) 326 - C4-0495/1998 ), - having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure, - having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A5-0016/2000 ), 1. Notes the initiatives undertaken by the Commission in 1998 to achieve the objectives contained in the Final Declaration of the Bergen Conference on protecting the North Sea and expresses its satisfaction at the progress made in ensuring the recovery of fish stocks and ecosystems in the North Sea; 2. Reiterates the substance of its abovementioned resolution of 10 March 1999; 3. Calls on the Council to consider setting total allowable catches (TACs) for the cod, haddock, herring, mackerel, northern prawn, Norway pout, plaice, saithe, sand eel, sole, whiting and spotted dogfish fisheries, on the basis of scientific data on the state of stocks and in accordance with the precautionary approach to fisheries management based on the reference points established by ICES; 4. Congratulates the Commission on the progress made in 1998 as regards monitoring policy under the common fisheries policy (CFP), and calls for the efforts made to be continued in order to improve the existing mechanisms; 5. Calls on the Commission to put forward initiatives designed to establish a system for penalising infringements of fishing regulations under which those professionally engaged in fishing would be treated equally regardless of the Member State in which the infringement occurred; 6. Encourages the Commission to continue the programme of exchanges of fisheries inspectors between Member States and third countries involved in North Sea fisheries as a means of promoting standard practice with regard to the implementation of conservation and control measures under the CFP; 7. Calls on the Member States to make an effort to set up the Community network of protected areas known as Natura 2000 and calls on the Commission to adopt the necessary measures to meet the commitments flowing from the directives on the protection of species and habitats of Community interest; 8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments of the Member States.
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| Fisheries management and marine environment |
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The European Parliament, - having regard to the communication from the Commission (COM(1999) 363 - C5-0176/1999 ), - having regard to its resolution of 25 October 1996 on the Commission's communication on implementing the technical measures in the common fisheries policy(1) , - having regard to its resolution of 18 September 1998 on the Commission's communication on fisheries monitoring under the common fisheries policy(2) , - having regard to Rule 160 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 Consumer Policy (A5-0017/2000 ), A. whereas fishing, as an irreplaceable source of food, figures among the various human activities, both for leisure and for industrial exploitation, research or transport, which have their roots in the use of the seas and oceans, and whereas the fishing industry, precisely because it is most in need of a high-quality marine environment and certainty regarding the renewal of the resources which it exploits, is among those which have the greatest interest in fostering respect for the environment, B. whereas a multitude of factors play a part in the deterioration of the marine environment, and account needs to be taken, inter alia, of factors such as pollution, the unpredictable consequences of climate change, the increasing use of coastal areas for urban development or industrial purposes and maritime transport, which can cause extremely serious spills when accidents occur and which also, in many cases, alter the natural migratory flows of a number of species, C. whereas Article 6 of the Treaty establishing the European Community stipulates that environmental protection requirements must be integrated into the definition and implementation of the Community policies referred to in Article 3, with a view to promoting sustainable development, D. whereas the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, to which the European Community is a party, provides for:
E. whereas the Agreement on the implementation of Part XI of the Convention on the Law of the Sea seeks to prevent the destruction of marine flora and fauna and to monitor fishery activities, F. whereas, in 1996, the Community signed the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas and, in 1995, the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the aim of which is to conserve, manage and develop living resources on the basis of behavioural principles and methods, G. whereas the Community is a signatory to the UN Agreement on the conservation and management of straddling stocks (fish which are found both inside and outside exclusive economic zones) and highly migratory fish stocks, H. whereas the Community has acceded to a large number of international fisheries conventions and is a member of international bodies formed on the basis of those conventions, one of the aims of which is the conservation and management of living resources, I. whereas every horizontal legal or administrative measure currently adopted in the fisheries sector, both at international and Community level, also incorporates provisions for the conservation and protection of fishery resources and the marine environment, J. whereas Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 establishing a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture states inter alia that the general objectives of the common fisheries policy are to protect and conserve marine living resources and to provide for rational and responsible exploitation on a sustainable basis, K. whereas Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93 and (EC) No 2846/98, establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy, provide the entire legal framework required for monitoring fisheries to attain the above objectives, L. whereas Council Decision 97/413/EC of 26 June 1997 lays down objectives and detailed rules for restructuring the Community fisheries sector for the period from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2001 with a view to achieving a balance on a sustainable basis between resources and their exploitation, M. whereas a fundamental plank of the common fisheries policy is to attain and maintain appropriate levels of fishing both in relation to commercial stocks and all other living resources, N. whereas the monitoring and supervision of fisheries and the marine environment are the cornerstone of the fisheries management and marine environment conservation policy and whereas current methods of monitoring and supervision provide sufficient guarantees to prevent and take action against infringements, O. whereas the overwhelming majority of European fishermen comply with Community legislation on the management and conservation of fishery resources and whereas they are likely to agree with any measures for fisheries monitoring and surveillance which are feasible from the technical, administrative and economic point of view, P. whereas fishermen and the organisations which represent them should be involved in the common fisheries policy decision-making process, above all with regard to the management and protection of fish stocks, Q. whereas the Union has great responsibility, as a producer, importer and consumer of vast quantities of fishery products, for the management and conservation of fishery resources and protection of the marine environment; whereas, nevertheless, in view of the enormous fishing and marketing capacity of countries such as Russia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China, the Union's regulatory work will have little effect without the active cooperation of the remaining fishing and marketing countries in the conservation and improved management of resources, R. whereas the activities of the Community fleets are not limited to EU waters, but include many bodies of water throughout the world, S. whereas concern for fish stocks and the marine environment forms an integral part of international fisheries agreements concluded by the Community, T. whereas the fishing capacity of a modern fishing vessel may be many times that of an old or traditional type of vessel and whereas modern techniques of locating and catching fish have developed to such an extent that they may jeopardise stocks; whereas, nevertheless, it should be borne in mind that an increase in capacity does not necessarily mean an increase in effort and that, if it is well regulated, fishing from a modern vessel is more profitable for fishermen, the product is of a higher quality and there are fewer discards; whereas it is vital to bear in mind the improvement which modern vessels have brought about to the safety and living conditions of crews, U. whereas, at all events, measures aimed at reducing the fishing effort must include technical measures, in addition to reducing the number of fishing vessels, and/or the number of days they spend fishing, as well as strict checks on the size of the catches landed and their marketing, V. whereas, in order to preserve stocks, checks at ports and on marketing should be applied strictly, W. whereas certain indiscriminate methods of fishing alter the nature of the seabed, destroy fish spawn and eradicate fish and organisms which have no commercial value but which constitute an integral part of the marine environment and its food chain, X. whereas small-scale inshore fishing can, with appropriate monitoring, provide a good example of sustainable, marine environment-friendly development; whereas, nevertheless, it is very important to bear in mind that coastal areas are the main breeding and spawning grounds for an extremely large number of species, and for that reason inshore fishing should also be subject to strict surveillance with regard to the size and age of the fish caught, Y. whereas the urbanisation of coastal areas in recent decades has taken a heavy toll on the coastal environment, which can only be remedied through an integrated approach, Z. whereas fish breeding-grounds such as lagoons and estuaries play a fundamental role in conserving fish stocks and the marine living environment, AA. whereas the NATURA 2000 network is consistent with small-scale fisheries which are controlled in accordance with the relevant regulations, and a controlled development of aquaculture, AB. whereas scientific knowledge and research make a highly significant contribution to heightening awareness of the problems and risks inherent in irresponsible fishing and enterprise, and taking appropriate measures to manage marine living resources, 1. Welcomes the intention of the Commission to improve the integration of environmental protection into the common fisheries policy and hopes that the Council is able to find the political will to adopt the Commission's proposals; 2. Calls on the Commission, when drawing up any measure linked to the environment, always to take into account that a wide range of factors are involved in causing deterioration in marine species, including pollution, climate changes, industrial activity, the pressure exerted by human activity on coastal areas, maritime transport and uncontrolled fishing; asks that such measures should take account of the fact that all these problems are closely interlinked and must be considered as a whole, and that solutions must be balanced for all the sectors and activities which depend on the sea, and that it should also be borne in mind that fishing is often one among many victims of environmental degradation; 3. Calls for the drawing-up of a Community policy for the management and protection not only of fishery resources but also of nature in the marine environment so as to safeguard both fish stocks and the marine environment itself; 4. Takes the view that the pollution of the marine environment and its consequent destruction are frequently due to land-based sources of pollution and discharges of waste of all kinds; calls, therefore, for the commitments given by the European Union in the OSPAR, Baltic Sea and Mediterranean international conventions, as well as Community legislation, to be applied effectively and for their implementation to be strictly monitored by the competent authorities; 5. Takes the view, likewise, that the dumping of oil and other harmful substances from ships constitutes an equally significant source of pollution in the marine environment within and outside the Community and calls for the effective implementation of international agreements and for penal sanctions to be applied; 6. Stresses, further, the lack of coordination between Community policies, particularly the structural funds, which in some cases have supported projects having an adverse impact on the marine environment, such as harbour facilities, marinas, etc.; 7. Recognises the progress made by the Commission and the Member States with regard to fisheries, progress which should continue, in awareness of the extent of the problem of fishery resources management and conservation both within and outside the Union and calls on them faithfully to implement the letter and the spirit of Community legislation in respect of the conservation, exploitation and protection of marine living resources, and of the requisite mutual cooperation; 8. Reiterates its belief that a policy of fisheries management which is based upon conservation of the marine environment is not incompatible with the long-term interests of fishing communities and is, in fact, essential if fishing is to survive in our coastal communities; 9. Urges that, if the Global Assessment of the Fifth Action Programme recommends a successor, the topic of fisheries be added as a sector for integration; 10. Considers that such a policy must be founded upon the precautionary principle and suggests that the Food and Agricultural Organization Code of Conduct and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement have provided good definitions of the principle; 11. Applauds the fact that many Community scientific committees on fisheries have subcommittees on the environment, which enables them to take account of environmental considerations, and hopes that further progress will be made in this direction; asks, likewise, that similar provision be made for taking account of the views of fisheries experts when measures are adopted which affect fishing; 12. Calls on the Commission to inform Parliament in a separate communication of its opinion as to whether fish stocks may be regarded as free or scarce goods to facilitate the rational economic use of the goods; 13. Calls on the Commission to continue without hesitation to use the appropriate legal means within its powers whenever it detects a breach of the obligations of the Member States or third countries in the fisheries sector and to advocate in every international body that sanctions be imposed on any states not complying with its statutory principles; 14. Calls on the Commission and the Council to continue their efforts to ensure that international fisheries agreements concluded on behalf of the Union with third countries comply, as a minimum, with international rules governing the management and conservation of fishery resources laid down or recommended by the relevant international organisations; 15. Looks forward to a wide-ranging public debate on the EU approach to third-country fisheries agreements, following the recent evaluation, and trusts that subsequent agreements give full consideration to the conservation of the marine environment in the third countries' waters as well as on the high seas; 16. Calls on the Commission to continue to use appropriate legal and technical measures, where necessary, to restrict the capacity of the Community fleet and to take an international initiative to persuade the other major fishing powers in the world to follow suit; 17. Calls on the Commission to ensure that current Community measures to reduce the intensity of fishing continue to include, as a matter of absolute necessity, the establishment of appropriate ceilings on fishing for the species listed in the scientific reports, in line with the conditions set out in those reports, and stringent checks on those ceilings at the various stages of the process; 18. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen by every means possible the monitoring and supervision of fisheries, increasing the relevant appropriations in the budget in order to monitor at close quarters the unloading of catches at Community fish docks, transfers of catches between fishing vessels and the marketing of fishery products; 19. Calls on the Commission to urge the Member States to take more responsibility for the monitoring and control of compliance with environmental legislation affecting the management of fishery resources; 20. Calls on the Council to confer on Community inspectors increased powers and responsibilities in line with the Commission proposals; 21. Urges the Commission and the Member States to do all that is necessary to ensure that their control and surveillance programmes are effective and fair; 22. Calls on the Commission to propose a definitive ban on the use and sale of fishing gear which alters the nature of the seabed, destroys fish spawn and does not select the target species to the full extent that is possible; 23. Calls on the Commission to assess the operation of the current satellite fishing vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and, in the light of the results, to look into the possibility of extending them to a larger number of vessels; 24. Recognises the importance of small-scale fishing for coastal communities and calls on the Commission to ensure that this recognition is consistently reflected in fisheries which fully respect the principles of responsible fishing, given that small-scale fishing takes place in coastal areas, which are among the most environmentally sensitive locations because they constitute the main breeding and spawning grounds for many species; 25. Calls on the Commission to take account of factors other than the length, tonnage and engine-power of vessels in measuring their fishing capacity; 26. Calls on the Commission to speed up and strengthen the establishment of the NATURA 2000 network in habitats of Community interest by involving the non-governmental organisations specialising in protection of the environment and natural resources; 27. Calls on the Commission to propose the introduction of a European prize for excellence to be awarded to national operators, researchers, non-governmental organisations, fishermen and members of the public for their services and their contribution to sustainable management of fish stocks and the natural marine environment; 28. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up the adoption of measures to combat the possible negative effects of aquaculture on the marine environment, including: - the mandatory possession of prior environmental impact assessments before the establishment of enterprises engaged in aquaculture, particularly in the case of establishments in enclosed sea areas in which the waters renew slowly, and in estuaries, - more rigorous scientific monitoring of aquaculture as regards the possible effects on the local marine ecosystem of setting up an enterprise, the possibility of transmitting disease and the quality of the feed, - an obligation on entrepreneurs, where feasible, to clean the seabed in the area covered by their operations or any other type of pollution caused by those operations; 29. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to launch an information campaign for fishermen and consumers to make them aware of the risks involved in the unthinking exploitation of fishery resources for the survival of fishing as an occupation for future generations, and to train them in sustainable development methods; 30. Awaits with particular interest the final report from the demonstration programme on integrated coastal zone management, particularly with regard to the impact of recreational fishing, both surface and underwater, on the conservation of certain stocks; 31. Calls on those Member States which conduct fishing activities in the Mediterranean to improve the gathering of their relevant statistical data; 32. Calls on the Commission to disseminate information about the proliferation in the Mediterranean Sea of the algae caulerpa taxifolia and, in particular, the impact thereof on inshore fishing and marine flora and fauna; 33. Strongly supports financial aid for scientific research, particularly with regard to the dissemination of research findings to interested parties through the organisation of seminars bringing together the scientific community, businessmen and fishermen, and the presentation of the problems involved to the non-specialist audience through television and the press to heighten consumer awareness of the scale of the danger threatening marine ecosystems and the security of fish stocks; 34. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.
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| Shipwreck of the Erika |
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The European Parliament, - having regard to its resolution of 20 January 2000 on the oil slick disaster caused by the wreck of the Erika (1) , - having regard to its earlier resolutions, in particular those of 21 January 1993 on the Braer tanker disaster(2) , 27 October 1994 on the oil slick in northern Portugal following the accident which occurred to the tanker Cercal (3) , 27 October 1994 on safety at sea(4) and 27 March 1996 on the Sea Empress tanker disaster(5) , - having regard to the international Convention of 18 December 1971 on the establishment of an International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) and the additional Protocol thereto of 27 November 1992, and to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) of 20 November 1973, - having regard to the proposal for a European Parliament and Council decision setting up a Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental marine pollution (COM(1998)769 ), and to Parliament's position of 16 September 1999 on that proposal(6) , - having regard to European Parliament and Council Decision No 2179/98/EC of 24 September 1998 on the review of the European Community programme of policy and action in relation to the environment and sustainable development 'Towards sustainability', and in particular Article 2(4)(d) thereof concerning the White Paper on environmental liability to be submitted by the Commission, A. whereas the Maltese-registered Erika sank off the Breton coast on 12 December 1999, causing an oil slick of 15 000 tonnes, polluting 450 kilometres of the coast and causing considerable damage to wildlife and to the fisheries and aquaculture sectors; whereas the wreck, containing 16 000 tonnes of oil lying at a depth of 120 m, presents a serious risk of further pollution, B. whereas vessels have taken advantage of the disastrous pollution in the wake of the accident involving the Erika to empty massive quantities of material from their tanks in the area, even though such operations are prohibited under Directive 76/464/EEC , C. whereas this is only the latest in a multitude of serious maritime pollution incidents which have taken place over the last twenty-five years in various parts of the European Union; whereas these environmental disasters cause serious damage to the marine ecosystem, biodiversity, birds and fishery resources in areas of major environmental importance, D. whereas the oil spill has proved much more serious than initial estimates predicted and the damage to the environment in the regions affected is extremely serious, even though it is not yet possible to assess its full scale, E. whereas, in the absence of results of risk analyses which should have been supplied by the relevant national and Community authorities, controversy is raging about the nature of the hydrocarbons washed up on beaches, F. whereas the activities of the fisheries, marine aquaculture and tourist sectors are a key part of the economic and social development of the affected areas, and whereas the cost of the oil spill for people working in maritime industries, who are faced with the need to rebuild or replace installations and equipment which have been destroyed or damaged, will be very high, G. whereas inshore fishing, already feeling the adverse effects of the difficulties in this sector, faces a bleak future because of this accident, and whereas other small-scale businesses that depend on the sea could lose several years" worth of harvests, in addition to the harm done by the loss of consumer confidence, H. whereas the exposure of shellfish and certain fish to hydrocarbons poses food safety risks and the French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA) has issued an opinion recommending that fishing from the shore be banned along sections of the coastline affected by the spill from the Erika , I. whereas the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) is designed to provide funds for rapid mitigation measures to minimise the coastal damage and to provide compensation for those affected by the pollution; whereas, however, the IOPCF is underfunded, which hinders damage limitation and means that the fund is unable to provide adequate compensation, J. whereas the European Union must reinforce its policy seeking to prevent this kind of disaster, 1. Again expresses its solidarity with and support for all the victims of this oil slick disaster and applauds the work of the volunteers and professionals still cleaning up the beaches; points out the scale of the economic and environmental consequences, which have had a particularly severe impact on the activities of fishermen, shellfish farmers, oyster-growers and people working in the maritime and tourist sectors; 2. Considers that according to the Polluter Pays Principle the operators of the Erika must accept liability by compensating the victims (by means of their insurance policies and direct payments), financing the clean-up of the areas affected by the disaster, and paying for the ecological damage; considers that liability must cover the fisheries and aquaculture sectors and the enterprises directly linked to these sectors; 3. Maintains that every effort must be made to pump the oil out of the ship's tanks as quickly as possible; 4. Calls on the Commission to take steps to help repair the damage caused in the fishing industry in the wake of the oil tanker disaster; 5. Calls for the abovementioned proposal for a decision setting up a Community framework for cooperation in the field of accidental marine pollution to be adopted as quickly as possible; 6. Calls for European funds to be mobilised as a matter of urgency, not least by Member States pursuing exchanges or working in partnership, with a view to supporting damaged regional businesses, and in particular people working in the maritime industries; 7. Deplores the fact that, unlike in the United States, the experience of previous disasters such as the Amoco Cadiz and Tanio has not been drawn on in order to improve appropriate standards and checks, and calls for all the necessary lessons to be drawn from the Erika disaster in the field of maritime safety; 8. Denounces the effects of the lax attitude in the maritime transport sector, which has failed adequately to tighten standards and checks applying to merchant ships and to the "flag of convenience" system, including fishing vessels; 9. Calls on the Commission to present, as a matter of urgency, specific initiatives designed to improve the safety of maritime transport by stepping up inspections on the basis of existing rules and by proposing new measures aimed at removing the serious loopholes in the current rules; 10. Welcomes the initiative taken by the local authorities, which had an expert report drawn up on the state of their coasts before the oil slick arrived so as to make it easier to compensate those affected, whether individuals, local authorities or professionals, thus showing it had learnt the lessons from the legal obstacles encountered by victims of previous disasters; 11. Calls for a significant increase in the IOPCF ceiling; 12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States and the accession candidate countries.
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