WRITTEN QUESTION E-1645/01

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Extraordinary aid for the conversion of the fleet following the failure of negotiations on the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement

As a result of the recent failure of negotiations on the fisheries agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco, it was deemed necessary to restructure part of the fishing fleet of Portugal and Spain (the Member States directly affected) so as to enable them to resume fishing in other more distant fishing grounds, particularly through urgent and exceptional measures designed to provide financial support.

According to reports published in the Spanish press, the Spanish Government has warned the EU that it may require more than 300 million to convert the fishing industry which previously fished off the Moroccan coast. According to the same source, Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer has stated that this figure is excessive given that Spain has already received 240 million.

The Commission:

- Can it confirm these reports?

- Can it say what level of financial support has been requested by and granted to Portugal to provide similar support for Portuguese fishermen and fishing-vessel owners, who have also been directly and seriously affected by the breakdown of negotiations between the EU and Morocco?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 July 2001)

The Community response to the consequences of the non-renewal of the fisheries agreement with Morocco comprises several aspects:

- payment of compensation for vessels' and fishermen's temporary cessation of activity, pursuant to Article 16(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999(1); such compensation has been paid since 1 January 2000 and is continuing to be paid in 2001;

- restructuring of the fleets concerned, to be done partly through existing structural programmes for the fisheries sector without increasing the overall appropriation, and partly through a specific action programme as requested by the Nice European Council in December 2000(2);

- retraining of fishermen, following the same approach as for fleet restructuring;

- socio-economic diversification of the coastal areas affected, to be done through their regions' integrated operational development programmes with assistance from the relevant Structural Funds: the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and, where appropriate, the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) - Guidance Section.

It should be borne in mind that all the measures referred to above must be part-financed by the Member States concerned, in accordance with the general rules on the Structural Funds.

As regards the amount of Community support:

- the Member States concerned will have to mobilise appropriations from the Structural Funds under existing programmes, but it is not possible to quantify their amount in advance;

- the Commission is currently examining the options for mobilising additional appropriations under the specific action programme referred to above, with due regard for the financial perspective as requested by the European Council.

The figures which the Honourable Member quotes in his question are merely working hypotheses among many. At the appropriate stage the budgetary authority will be responsible for determining the amount of the appropriations allocated to the specific action programme and, for its part, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 36 and 37 (ex Articles 42 and 43) of the EC Treaty the Community legislature will be responsible for determining how those appropriations are to be divided between Spain and Portugal.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2792/1999 of 17 December 1999 laying down the detailed rules and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector (OJ L 337, 30.12.1999).

(2) Point 59 of the Presidency conclusions.