B4-1128, 1183, 1185, 1187 and 1195/95

Resolution on the fisheries agreement with Morocco

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the fisheries agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco, which expired on 30 April 1995,

- having regard to its resolution of 28 October 1994 ((OJ C 323, 21.11.1994, p. 505.)) on the fisheries agreement with Morocco and its resolution of 13 June 1995 ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 4.)) on the fisheries agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco,

A. whereas the EU wishes to reach a satisfactory fisheries agreement as soon as possible in the interests of the Community fishing fleet which has traditionally fished in the grounds concerned,

B. whereas the Commission was forced to break off negotiations on 28 August 1995 owing to the lack of willingness to negotiate on the part of the Moroccan delegation,

C. whereas the Commissioner responsible for fisheries recently visited the Kingdom of Morocco,

D. whereas this is the most important of all the EU's fisheries agreements, given the number of Community vessels affected, the catch possibilities involved, the number of fishermen and other workers concerned and the significance of the related processing industries, its economic and social impact on the regions of Andalusia, Galicia, the Canary Islands and the Algarve, and the fact that in Spain alone it affects 680 vessels and the employment of 12 000 people directly and a further 60 000 indirectly,

E. whereas it is essential that the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement should be continued with a view to preserving an economic activity in regions which are among those most affected by unemployment in the EU and which have already suffered the adverse impact of the concessions made to Morocco in the fruit and vegetables sector,

F. whereas the agreements of the Cannes European Council on increased funding for Mediterranean third countries offer Morocco excellent financial prospects in the run-up to the Euro-Mediterranean Conference to be held in Barcelona on 27 and 28 November 1995,

1. Urges the Commission to begin the seventh round of negotiations on the fisheries agreement with the objective of achieving a satisfactory fisheries agreement corresponding to the interests of the sector as soon as possible;

2. Insists on the importance of maintaining the firm stand of Parliament, the Council and the Commission in defence of the Community fleet, as affirmed by the EU's negotiators in the various rounds;

3. Hopes that, following the recent meetings between the Commissioner responsible for fisheries and the highest Moroccan authorities, the Moroccan negotiators will show greater flexibility in the seventh round of talks and enable a satisfactory agreement to be concluded;

4. Affirms that, if in the seventh round of negotiations, the Commission encounters the same problems as in the previous rounds, the Commission should suspend the parallel negotiations on the Association Agreement with Morocco;

5. Calls on the Commission, if it reaches a successful fisheries agreement, to consolidate it in the global Association Agreement;

6. Calls on the governments of the countries and regions affected to make it an urgent priority to identify and assess the damage suffered by their fleets and related sectors and, where necessary, to provide the advance funding needed for the support programmes and measures, irrespective of subsequent reimbursement from the Community budget;

7. Considers that substantial support should be provided from the Structural Funds with a view to adapting the sector, and reminds the negotiators of the need to preserve employment and economic activity in the regions directly affected, while stressing the need for the EU to cooperate in this context in the adjustment, where necessary, of the fishing fleet in the regions concerned;

8. Considers that given the extent of the economic damage arising from the absence of an agreement, it is necessary to create and fund special support programmes in addition to the IFOP and the PESCA initiative, which are obviously proving insufficient;

9. Urges that the appropriations allocated in the 1995 EC budget to the section on financial compensation for the Kingdom of Morocco under the budget heading entitled 'International fisheries agreements', which have not been utilized to date owing to the failure to renew the fisheries agreement, be used to finance measures and programmes to support the fleets which have had to remain in port; calls on the Commission, in this connection, to submit a supplementary and amending budget modifying the remarks related to that budget heading so as to extend the possibilities for its use within the same category of the Financial Perspective;

10. Stresses the need for swift and flexible action with respect to the management of the Commission's proposed aid of ECU 40 m for the vessels currently immobilized on account of the negotiations for the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, to enable those affected to benefit immediately from the aid;

11. Requests the Commission, as a matter of urgency, to provide an assessment of fisheries resources which can be realistically expected to be available over the next decade to fleets of the European Union, both in domestic waters as well as waters under the jurisdiction of third countries and on the high seas;

12. Calls for an overall evaluation to be carried out as regards the international fishing agreements the European Union has concluded with third countries, in particular since these account for a major proportion (some 30%) of the total EU budget for the fisheries sector;

13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the Government of Morocco.