92002E0834

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0834/02

by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 March 2002)

Subject: Scrapping of fishing fleets

At question time on 12 March 2002, Commissioner Fischler replied to a question which I put concerning the support for scrapping of fishing fleets which was approved in connection with the 2002 budget procedure. However, he did not fully reply to the question or to the supplementary question concerning one aspect: may EU subsidies under such schemes also be paid for the scrapping of vessels which were built with the aid of previous EU subsidies? I would therefore reiterate the question: may they?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 2002)

As the Member of the Commission responsible for Fisheries explained in his answer to the Honourable Member's oral question H-83/02 during question time at Parliament's March 2002 session(1), the funds made available in the context of the specific measure, due to the non conclusion of the agreement with Morocco, are additional funds to the funds already available under the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), which is one of the four Structural Funds.

The FIFG finance is open to all Member States and the rules and arrangements have been fixed in Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down the detailed rules and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector(2). According to these rules, the scrapping of fishing vessels is one of the eligible measures. One of the most important eligibility conditions for scrapping is that vessels are 10 years old or more. This condition also applies to vessels which have received public aid to be built. So vessels, which in the past, have received Community aid for construction are not necessarily excluded.

It should, however, be stressed that this is not a scrap and build scheme, as the main conditions attached to the management of the fleet require that capacity built with public aid is compensated by a withdrawal of, at least, the same capacity without public aid, and that capacity withdrawn with public aid cannot be replaced.

(1) Oral reply, 12.3.2002.

(2) OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.