Mr President, my political group has tabled its own resolution and amendments to the resolution of the other political groups. I am not going to insist on the different aspects of the resolution, which you already know, I am simply going to refer to certain specific points which – I am afraid – may be important in our future debates. First point: joint enterprises. It appears that Morocco would be prepared to sign an agreement in which joint enterprises were the principal element. What does this mean? Simply that it would be an agreement which would only benefit certain shipowners. The small-scale and inshore fleet would be of no interest to Morocco in terms of establishing joint enterprises; this would mean, in areas such as ours where employment problems are very serious, the scrapping of small vessels and a reduction in employment. On the other hand, joint enterprises would mean fewer Community crews and the demand by Morocco for more landings in Moroccan ports. This would mean cutting jobs. If this were the principal element of the agreement, it would benefit the type of fleet which is multi-purpose and larger-sized which, in any event, is already looking for other fishing grounds. Second point: on the 26th, Commissioner Fischler – according to items in various parts of the media in my country – appears to have expressed his approval of considering additional concessions in the importation of fruit and vegetables originating from Morocco in the negotiation of the fisheries agreement. In this regard, we should take into account three factors: firstly, fruit and vegetable are grown in the European Union in areas where there is also an urgent need for employment; secondly, fruit and vegetable are frequently used as an exchange currency in commercial agreements with non-EU countries and thirdly, in the last reform of this sector, important public instruments for market management were dismantled. Therefore, it is not admissible for fruit and vegetables to pay the price for a large part of the European Union’s external policy. I would like to remind you that, during the negotiation of the fisheries agreement which is about to expire, the Group of the opposed the signing of a fisheries agreement through the concession of additional quotas for the importation of fruit and vegetables within the framework of the parallel negotiation of the Association Agreement. Initially it was a question of balance: while the fisheries agreement was in force temporarily, the conditions for fruit and vegetables were of a permanent nature. Frequently, these concessions are granted as a contribution to the development of non-EU countries. Nevertheless, the reality is much more complex. And in the case of Morocco, 85% of tomato production and exportation is carried out by five companies; the largest of them is Domain Royal, which belongs to the royal family, and the other four belong to the Moroccan aristocracy. The cuts to the fisheries agreement to favour the Moroccan fishing industry only benefited the main owner of the cephalopod-fishing fleet, a family relation of the former Minister for External Affairs. This does not exactly favour a just and egalitarian development, but rather benefits certain interests. And lastly, I would like to refer to the way that negotiations are carried out. Traditionally, Morocco does not negotiate until the previous agreement has run out and the fleet is halted, with the social tension which that causes. This time the same thing will happen. This attitude cannot be permitted from a supposed partner. My group wishes for a just and balanced agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco on the part of the European Union, but we also think that, in order to prevent this periodic bartering which causes our fishermen enormous anguish and places them in a difficult situation, the future agreement should be established within the framework of the Association Agreement.

Political group: GUE-NGL