WRITTEN QUESTION E-2879/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Renewal of the fisheries agreement with Morocco.
Date: 2000-09-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Morocco, fishing agreement, industrial fishing, renewal of an agreement

C 136 E/120

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

As the Commission has explained in several replies to previous similar questions by the Honourable
Member (E-94/00 (1) and E-660/00 (2)), the merger can have no impact on the current limitations on the
activities of the Astano yard. The continued closure of the yard to shipbuilding was a key condition of
substantial state aids for the publicly-owned merchant shipyards in Spain approved by the Commission in
1997. This condition must continue to be respected.

(1) OJ C 280 E, 3.10.2000, p. 176.
(2) OJ C 26 E, 26.1.2001, p. 84.

(2001/C 136 E/137)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2879/00

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

(14 September 2000)

Subject: Renewal of the fisheries agreement with Morocco

The Spanish media have recently reported that Commission sources have admitted that no timetable has
been established for negotiating a new fisheries agreement with Morocco, while also pointing out that this
agreement is crucial, in the Spanish state, for the future of a fleet of 415 vessels providing 4 000 direct
jobs in Galicia, Andalusia and the Canaries. Meanwhile, Spanish society and, in particular, the society of
Galicia (represented by the author of this question) are looking on with astonishment at the reprehensible
silence of the EU and Spanish authorities in the face of evidence that large vessels from Member States
such the Netherlands and Ireland, benefiting from private contracts and licences from Moroccan bodies,
have been replacing the vessels covered by the EU-Morocco agreements and catching a whole range of fish
which are out of bounds to undertakings complying with EU law, and are even planning to construct large
freezer trawlers in the Canaries for the fish thus obtained. One Galician media report claims that the EU
supertrawlers fishing in those waters have caught 100 000 tons of fish, a figure exceeding the entire catch
total for the same period under the previous EU-Morocco agreement.

Given that the previous agreement expired in November 1999 and that nine months of uncertainty have
passed since, does the Commission not believe that it is time for the European institutions to take a clear
and definite public stand in order to resolve this serious problem? Considering that no less a matter than
the democratic credibility of the Community institutions is at stake, how does the Commission intend to
put an end to the unacceptable situation created by vessels from some Community Member States fishing
in sub-Saharan waters while vessels from Galicia, the Canaries and Andalusia, as well as those from other
Member States such as Portugal, are prevented from doing so?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(16 October 2000)

The position of the Commission towards the future fisheries relations with Morocco remains the same as
expressed in the negotiating mandate approved unanimously by the Council in October 1999.

As the Honourable Member is aware, the Commission has been active at all levels during the last months
to initiate the negotiations as soon as possible. There have been several political meetings with the
Moroccan government on this subject, while technical meetings
July
and September 2000. The Commission will keep the Parliament fully informed about the development of
its contacts with Moroccan authorities.

took place at

the end of

Concerning the question of the Community vessels currently operating in Moroccan waters, the Commis-
sion can confirm that it has been aware of these activities since the first months of 2000. It should be
noted that the vessels in question do not target the species traditionally fished by Community vessels.

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/121

Their presence in Morocco is the consequence of private agreements concluded between Netherlands
enterprises and the Moroccan administration for which the Commission has no competence. The
Commission is therefore not in a position to intervene in these arrangements.

(2001/C 136 E/138)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2880/00

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

(14 September 2000)

Subject: Plans for a high-speed rail link between Galicia and the EU heartland

The Galician regional government has announced that an agreement will shortly be signed with the
Spanish central government to guarantee the construction over the period 2000-2007 of a high-speed rail
line linking Madrid (via Valladolid) to Galicia, entering the region at Orense and serving the cities of La
Coruæa, El Ferrol, Santiago, Lugo, Vigo and Pontevedra. The Valladolid junction would also link Galicia
with the line running from Madrid to the French frontier via the Basque Country. The information
provided to the media states that the new line will use the standard European wide gauge for high-speed
trains, although on some stretches the maximum possible speed will be only 200 kph, and that it is certain
to receive EU cofinancing from the Cohesion Fund.

Is the Commission aware of such an undertaking? Has it taken any decision, with the agreement of the
Spanish central government, on the application of investment from the Cohesion Fund to this rail link
between Galicia and the Union heartland? Can the Commission confirm from its side that on some of the
Galician stretches of this rail line the maximum possible speed will be no higher than 200 kph?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(31 October 2000)

The Commission was informed of the agreements between the central Spanish Government and the Xunta
de Galicia concerning infrastructures during its regular contacts with the authorities in the European
regions.

As part of the revision of the TEN guidelines planned for this year, the Commission is in contact with the
Spanish Government and will examine this matter in order to determine its impact on the trans-European
high-speed network.

The Commission has not received any requests for Cohesion Fund financing of the projects concerned.

Decision No 1692/96 of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the trans-European transport network
lays down that the trans-European high-speed network (1) shall consist of the following lines, as set out in
Annex 1 to the Decision:

(cid:129) lines especially designed for high speed and equipped for speeds that are generally not less than

250 km/hour by means of current or new technologies;

(cid:129) lines especially configured for high speed, and equipped for speeds of roughly 200 km/hour;

(cid:129) lines especially configured for high speed and having specific characteristics as a result of the
topographical, relief or urban environment constraints, whose speed must be adjusted on a case-by-
case basis.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.