WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3089/97 by Antonio TAJANI to the Commission. Seizure of Italian fishing boats by Tunisia
C 117/150 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 16. 4. 98 Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (7 November 1997) The decision of the United Kingdom government concerning VAT receipts from the sale of the recording of Candle in the Wind is praiseworthy. It is not possible under Community VAT legislation to exempt arbitrarily any goods from VAT. The Commission understands that a grant of corresponding value will be made to charity, so formally it will be a donation from the government. The Commission is very active in the political campaign for a total ban on anti-personnel landmines and is among the world’s leading sponsors of mine clearance and related work, including assistance to mine victims. In the past five years over MECU 100 of Community funds have been devoted to this cause. However as the Honourable Member will be aware, Community VAT legislation does not allow the Commission simply to pay VAT revenue over to charities. In any event the Community budget receives only a part of the VAT revenues collected in a Member State (about 1/17th in the case in the United Kingdom). (98/C 117/201) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3089/97 by Antonio Tajani (UPE) to the Commission (19 September 1997) Subject: Seizure of Italian fishing boats by Tunisia At the end of July and in August 1997 three Italian fishing boats operating in international waters in the Sicilian Channel were involved in serious acts of armed intimidation and seized by the Tunisian coastguard. Such incidents, which unfortunately occur with alarming frequency, again raise the question of the need to guarantee freedom of navigation and fishing rights in international waters in the area and to protect Italian fishermen who are legitimately carrying our their activities but whose personal safety is periodically seriously endangered. What will the Commission do to ensure that Community fishermen are safe and international law complied with in the Sicilian Channel as soon as possible? What stage has been reached in the negotiations for the accession of the European Union to the General Council for fishing in the Mediterranean, a body which could guarantee adoption of and compliance with common rules to protect fishing activities in the Mediterranean? Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (29 October 1997) The Commission has not been notified by Italy of the events to which the Honourable Member refers but has always firmly demanded respect by all countries for the international law of the sea and condemns all acts of violence imperilling vessel safety. Against this background the Commission would remind the Honourable Member that there is no fisheries agreement between the Community and Tunisia and that the incidents apparently occurred in international waters. At its 22nd plenary session, held from 13 to 16 October 1997 in Rome, the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean adopted amendments to its constituting Agreement that permit the Community’s admission as a full member. With a view to its adoption at the earliest date the Commission is closely monitoring progress in the Council of the proposed Regulation on Community membership