WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2206/98 by Hanja MAIJ-WEGGEN to the Commission. Fisheries in the Netherlands Antilles
C 297/8 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 15. 10. 1999 (1999/C 297/010) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2206/98 by (Hanja) Maij-Weggen (PPE) to the Commission Subject: Fisheries in the Netherlands Antilles (10 July 1998) Can the Commission indicate why an export ban on fish has been imposed on the Netherlands Antilles? When does the Commission intend to lift this ban? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (23 September 1998) Imports of fishery products from third countries are regulated since 1991 by Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991 laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery products (1). It provides in particular for the conditions to be met by establishments, factory vessels and freezer vessels to be approved to place fishery products on the Community market. This Directive applies to internal Community production and foresees that the provisions applied to imports of fishery products shall be at least equivalent to those governing the Community production. In order to fix the import conditions of fishery products from a third country or an overseas territory, the Directive lays down that the Commission shall take particular account of the legislation of the third country or territory, the organisation of the competent authority of the third country or territory and of its inspection services, the actual health conditions during the production, storage and dispatch of fishery products intended for the Community and the assurance which the third country or territory can give on the compliance with the standards laid down in the Annex of the Directive. Commission Decision 97/296/EC of 22 April 1997 drawing up the list of third countries from which the import of fishery products is authorized for human consumption (2) requires the Member States to ensure that no fishery products, in whatever form intended for human consumption, are imported except from the third countries or territories listed in the Annex to the Decision. The countries or territories contained in the list have provided information and guarantees on these items. As an exception to avoid disruption of trade, the above decision allowed Member States to import on a bilateral basis fishery products from third countries and territories not included in the list up to 1 July 1998. Since the Dutch Antilles provided to the Commission the necessary information after the date of 1 July 1998 it was not possible for the Commission to submit a proposal to authorize the imports of fishery products from this country to Member States. Therefore the Dutch Antilles do not figure on the lists of Decision 97/296/EC. As soon as the information received is evaluated, and it can be concluded that the sanitary conditions applied to fishery products in the Dutch Antilles intended for the Community market give equivalent guarantees to the Community provisions, a proposal to authorize these imports will be presented. (1) OJ L 268, 24. 9. 1991. (2) OJ L 122, 14. 5. 1997. (1999/C 297/011) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2218/98 by Joan Vallvé (ELDR) to the Commission (16 July 1998) Subject: Stopping vessels’ fishing activities permanently Article 8(2) of Regulation No 3699/93 (1) of 21 December 1993 laying down the criteria and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the processing and marketing of its products, sets out the measures to stop vessels’ fishing activities permanently, and further stipulates that for vessels of less than 25 gross registered tonnes only the scrapping of the vessel may qualify for official aid