Strasbourg, 11/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - By adopting the report of Struan Stevenson in Strasbourg on Tuesday (Scottish Conservative), the European Parliament has approved a proposal on the setting up of control measures in the zone covered by the convention on the future multilateral North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC). Parliamentarians called on the European Commission to present a proposal no later than six months after entry into force of the regulation applicable to all fishing organisations whose Community competencies in inspection and control are clearly defined.
The approved proposal has two objectives: to transpose the recommendations adopted in November 2002 at the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission in November 2002 into Community legislation. These recommendations aim to amend the current control system governing transhipments and joint fishing operations; extend until 31 December 2004 the validity of the arrangement, adopted in November 1999 by the Fisheries Council, which aims to guarantee the follow-up of the fishing operations in the NEAFC zone. this Community inspection and monitoring system (which had already been extended till December 2002 by a Council decision in 2001) distributes the responsibilities of control between the Commission and flags of the Member States concerned