WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1442/99 by Camilo NOGUEIRA ROMÁN Distribution of Cohesion Fund resources among the autonomous regions of the Spanish state
Date: 1999-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, NOGUEIRA ROMAN Camillo
Subjects: Cohesion Fund, Galicia, Spain, distribution of aid, regional statistics

29.1.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 27 E/69

their Community ports and territories of origin. The attitude of the Community institutions and the
Member States does not take account of the interests of the Galician fleet based in the ports of Ribeira,
O Morrazo and A Guarda, which (cid:129) in a fisheries-dependent region (cid:129) send 170 vessels and some 3 000
workers to the Canarian and Saharan fishing-grounds. Nor is account taken of the character of the Galician
undertakings which pursue their activity in those fishing-grounds with fishing licences: these undertakings
typically have owners who possess only one vessel, which makes it, in practice, impossible for them to
become joint undertakings under Moroccan control. In 1995 the Community showed a different attitude,
negotiating the fisheries agreement in the context of EC-Morocco economic relations as a whole; on the
eve of the Barcelona Euro-Mediterranean Conference, the EC did not sign the twelve-year economic
association agreement with Morocco until the latter had accepted the fisheries agreement.

Does the Commission intend to act along lines similar to those of 1995, and conduct the fisheries
negotiations in the context of EU-Morocco relations as a whole, with a view to reaching an agreement
which will not lead to the loss of vessels and crews which are of particular importance to the economy of
Galicia?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(5 October 1999)

It is true that the fisheries and association agreements in 1995 between the Community and Marocco were
negotiated in parallel. Whilst the circumstances which prevail in 1999 may not be identical, historically,
the fisheries relationship has been closely entwined with the overall political and economic relationship
between the parties. The Commission does not consider that that close interrelationship will change.

(2000/C 27 E/083)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1442/99

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Distribution of Cohesion Fund resources among the autonomous regions of the Spanish state

Can the Commission state the amount allocated to Galicia in Cohesion Fund monies over the period 1994-
1999 and the status of these monies as a proportion of the total allocation to the Spanish state as a whole?

Can the Commission confirm that Galicia, a territory which stands in particular need of modernisation as
far as its communications and transport structures are concerned, and is currently classified as an
Objective 1 region while accounting for over 7 % of the population of Spain, has received investment
only to the value of 1,3 % of the total allocated in Cohesion Fund resources to the Spanish state since the
Fund(cid:146)s creation?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(16 September 1999)

The Cohesion Fund was set up by Regulation (EC) 1164/94 of 16 May 1994 (1) to provide part-financing
for environment and transport projects in the recipient countries at national
level. The Commission
therefore has no regional statistics.

It is worth stressing, moreover, that the investments to be part-financed by the Fund are approved by the
Commission on the basis of projects communicated to it by the Member States concerned.

Summary tables showing the subsidies granted to Spain under the Cohesion Fund for the period 1993-99
are being sent directly to the Honourable Member and the Parliament Secretariat.

(1) OJ L 130, 25.5.1994.