Mr President, first of all, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, Mr Lisi, on the report he has prepared, and in particular on his will and his way of working, which has enabled the other members of the Committee on Fisheries, as he said himself, to enter into a fruitful and positive dialogue when drawing up this report. The Mediterranean, which is the cradle of European civilisation, is a responsive, living, but extremely fragile place, characterised by its status as an enclosed sea, which brings its own dangers. There are therefore no easy solutions to problems such as industrial pollution – as the rapporteur himself pointed out – or pollution due to high demographic density. The Action Plan presented by the European Commission is necessary. We need an all-embracing Action Plan that is not restricted to fishing methods, because nobody could believe that the current scarcity of fish is due solely to overfishing. It is due rather to a combination of factors, mainly marine pollution due to agricultural pesticides reaching the sea, oil slicks and everyday leaks from oil tankers, and the lack of purifying plants for treating sewage. We therefore urgently need to adopt measures o combat industrial and urban pollution in the Mediterranean. We also need to put a stop to the infringements of the common fisheries policy that currently take place, such as illegal fishing, the use of illegal methods, parallel trading and lack of compliance with standards relating to minimum size. The Mediterranean fishing sector is fragile. Its fleet – as we have already heard – essentially comprises small-scale fishing boats. The sector therefore needs the continued support of the public authorities if it is to develop in a controlled manner without growth for some leading to bankruptcy for others. This applies equally to the small-scale fishing fleet, aquaculture – a growing industry – or marketing. As the Commissioner has pointed out, the characteristics of the Mediterranean are highly specific. Around twenty countries – most of which are not EU Members – as well as world fleets operate in this area, such as the Japanese and Russian fleets. The Community needs to ensure, in conjunction with the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean, that all parties comply with the principles of the common fisheries policy with regard to the Mediterranean. Without sustainable management of resources, the days of fishing in the Mediterranean are numbered, as this area provides a livelihood for almost half the workers in the Community fishing sector and half the European fleet. As Mr Lisi has pointed out, the fishing sector in the Mediterranean employs a large workforce and has a positive effect on other sectors, such as tourism. Poor application of the principle of subsidiarity – and this is perhaps the strongest objection I would put to Mr Lisi – resulting in the renationalisation of the CFP, would be a death sentence for fishing in the Mediterranean. I therefore believe we urgently need to apply the CFP in its entirety in the Mediterranean, adapting it to the reality of the Mediterranean situation and considering in advance, where we feel it necessary, what exactly are the prevailing conditions in this area. We need to adapt the fleet to existing resources, but we cannot – and here I agree with Mr Lisi – sentence it to ruin, as might happen if aid for renovating the fleet was discontinued. The ageing of the fleet would lead to the end of fishing in the Mediterranean, as surely as if there were no more fish. The Group of the – and I should make this clear – supports the Action Plan presented by the Commission, which should be implemented with the utmost regard for the special characteristics of the Mediterranean.

Political group: PSE