WRITTEN QUESTION E-0418/00 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Curtailing beam-trawl fishing owing to damage to the sea-bed environment.
C 374 E/70 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 28. 12. 2000 The issue will be considered in the framework of a forthcoming review of the scope of the lower rates of VAT, and appropriate proposals made for a more uniform VAT regime for transactions involving blood products. (1) OJ L 181, 28. 6. 1989. Council Directive 89/381/EEC of 14 June 1989 extending the scope of Directives 65/65/EEC and 75/319/EEC on the approximation of provisions laid down by Law, Regulation or Administrative Action relating to proprietary medicinal products and laying down special provisions for medicinal products derived from human blood or human plasma. (2) OJ L 145, 13. 6. 1977, as last amended by Directive 1999/85/EC (OJ L 277, 28. 10. 1999). (3) OJ L 214, 24. 8. 1993. Council Regulation (EEC) No 2309/93 of 22 July 1993 laying down Community procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products. (2000/C 374 E/082) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0418/00 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (23 February 2000) Subject: Curtailing beam-trawl fishing owing to damage to the sea-bed environment 1. Is the Commission familiar with the article headlined Beam-trawl fishing damaging to North Sea environmentí published in de Volkskrant on 1 February 2000, in which the environmental impact of the beam-trawling method is described by Dr H. Lindeman, a researcher at the Institute for Maritime Research (NIOZ) commissioned by the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Fisheries (LNV)? 2. Is the Commission aware that this fisheries technique, which is used mainly to catch sea-bed dwelling species like sole and plaice, involves the use of heavy iron bars and chains to in effect plough up the sea bed to a depth of 6 to 10 centimetres as a means of forcing those species into the nets. 3. Can the Commission confirm that in the Netherlands area of the North Sea alone, a minimum of 400 fisheries vessels, equipped with fishing gear ranging from 4 to 12 metres in width, are already using the beam-trawling method, and that not only the North Sea, on which fisheries countries like the Netherlands, Britain and the Scandinavian countries are dependent, but other waters as well are being damaged by this process? Does the Commission agree that this fisheries method has a highly destructive impact on the sea bed 4. and its biodiversity, not least because every living sea-bed organism is uprooted, and that beam-trawl fishing is currently wreaking at least as much havoc on the environment as, say, oil or gas borings? 5. What action will the Commission take to curtail the beam-trawling fisheries method and to provide the fisheries crews concerned with the opportunity to convert to other catching techniques or to other employment altogether? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (30 March 2000) 1. The Commission is not familiar with the article published in de Volkskrant of 1 February 2000. The Commission is fully aware of the nature of beam trawls, their target species, and the degree to 2. which the seabed is penetrated by these fishing gears. The Commission can confirm that a large number of beam trawlers work in the North Sea and 3. elsewhere. It is doubtful, however, that all of these vessels work at any time simultaneously in the Netherlands area of the North Sea. A recent survey has indicated that, in the North Sea and even in the Netherlands area thereof, there are considerable areas which are not fished at all by beam trawlers. 28. 12. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 374 E/71 The Commission is aware of the work of Dr H. Lindeboom (referred to in the question as 4. Dr Lindeman), the author of the article referred to. Dr Lindeboom is an eminent scientist who has published a number of texts, both scientific and popular, in which he claims that beam trawling is damaging to the environment. However, other equally eminent scientists do not agree, either completely or at all, with Dr Lindeboomís conclusions. 5. The activities of beam trawlers are already curtailed by Community legislation. Large beam trawlers (greater than 221 Kilo Watt engine power) are not allowed to fish in the so-called plaice box which is an area of sea adjacent to the North Sea coasts of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, and Netherlands. Furthermore, large beam trawlers may not fish in the 12 mile zone around Ireland and United Kingdom. Beam trawling is prohibited in the Kattegat. At this stage, the Commission does not envisage any amendment to those restrictions. It will however continue to survey and evaluate biological impacts of fisheries, in order to propose further measures if and when appropriate. (2000/C 374 E/083) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0421/00 by Ulrich Stockmann (PSE) to the Commission (23 February 2000) Subject: Equipping of motor vehicles with warning triangles I am informed by a German industrial undertaking that since last summer the Kingdom of Spain has required motor vehicles to be equipped with two warning triangles. Are there any plans within the Commission to submit a proposal to make it compulsory for all motor vehicles throughout the EU to be equipped with two warning triangles? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (28 March 2000) The Commission is aware of Spanish legislation requiring all vehicles to carry two warning triangles. This is a requirement of the General Regulations of Vehicles, Article 19 and Annex XII published as a Royal Decree (Real Decreto 2822/98) on 23 December 1998. The warning triangle does not form part of the construction standards of vehicles, and the requirement to carry it is an item of traffic rules. Such rules are normally the competence of the Member States and the Commission has no plans to extend the Spanish system throughout the Community. (2000/C 374 E/084) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0422/00 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (23 February 2000) Subject: Installation of Greek Electricity Board (DEI) pylons in the Cyclades For a number of years the DEI has been endeavouring to link up the islands of Andros, Tinos, Syros and Mykonos with high-tension electrical current from Euvoia and to set up pylons on these islands for this purpose. There have already been furious protests from local inhabitants on these islands, and the Council of State has issued a decision invalidating such a move