Integration fisheries-environment, ministerial meeting, March 1997, Bergen. 2nd report on implementation

The European Parliament adopted its resolution on the Commission's report on the implementation of the 'statement of conclusions from the intermediate ministerial meeting on the integration of fisheries and environmental issues in Bergen', drafted by Mr. Daniel VARELA-SUANZES-CARPEGNA (EPP/ED, E). The main points made by the Parliament in its resolution are the following: - it noted the initiatives taken by the Commission in 1998 regarding the protection of the North Sea and expresses its satisfaction at the progress made in ensuring the recovery of fish stocks and ecosystems in the North Sea; - it calls on the Council to consider letting total allowable catches (TACs) for the cod, haddock, herring, mackerel, northern prawn, Norway pout, plaice, saithe, sand eel, sole, whiting and spotted dogfish fisheries, on the basis of scientific data on the state of stocks and in accordance with the precautionary approach to fisheries management based on the reference points established by ICES; - it calls on the Commission to put forward initiatives designed to establish a system for penalising infringements of fishing regulations under which those professionally engaged in fishing would be treated equally regardless of the Member State in which the infringement occurred; - it encourages the Commission to continue the programme of exchange of fisheries inspectors between Member States and third countries involved in North Sea fisheries; and - it calls on the Member States to make an effort to set up the Community network of protected areas known as Natura 2000 and calls on the Commission to adopt the necessary measures to meet the commitments flowing from the directives on the protection of species and habitats of Community interest.�