WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1436/98 by Daniel VARELA SUANZES- CARPEGNA to the Commission. European cooperation in developing the fisheries sector in third countries
C 386/128 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 11. 12. 98 (98/C 386/177) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1435/98 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission (11 May 1998) Subject: European cooperation in developing the fisheries sector in third countries Will the Commission say whether the development of the fisheries sector has been considered a priority matter in any West African countries, and if so, specify the countries, projects and financial sums involved? (98/C 386/178) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1436/98 by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission (11 May 1998) Subject: European cooperation in developing the fisheries sector in third countries Will the Commission indicate what cooperation projects (including the countries and sums involved) have been drawn up and implemented by DG VIII in West Africa concerning: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. the development of small-scale fishing; resource assessment; the financing of research campaigns; the fight against illegal fishing; and the training of fishermen? Joint answer to Written Questions E-1430/98, E-1431/98, E-1432/98, E-1433/98, E-1434/98, E-1435/98 and E-1436/98 given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (24 June 1998) The Commission would point out to the Honourable Member that the concept of cooperation, notably with regard to support for fisheries, has undergone considerable change; the State is no longer seen as the driving force behind development, but rather as providing a regulatory framework and basic conditions enabling other actors such the private sector and members of civil society to play their roles to the full. Recognising that different economic sectors and commercial trends are interlinked, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the Community authorities recently began to look closely at developing their analytical resources and fostering a partnership between European and ACP institutions and interested parties. This is reflected for example in the resolutions of the ACP-EC joint assembly on the future of fisheries cooperation and the resulting fisheries research initiative launched jointly by the ACP countries and the Community. In an effort to ensure that projects are compatible, they are focused on specific priorities, drawing on various cooperation instruments however they are administered; complementarity is ensured by promoting public-private partnerships. While the impact of this approach may not be evident from the áturnoverí figures for cooperation alone, the new thinking is reflected in the issues addressed in recent years. However, to give some idea of the amounts allocated to fisheries projects under the European Development Fund (EDF), the figures are as follows: › ECU 185 million for completed EDF projects; › ECU 127 million for projects in hand, and › ECU 39 million for those projects currently in preparation for which spending forecasts already exist