WRITTEN QUESTION E-2926/00 by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission. Construction of a vast cold-storage plant for fish.
Date: 2000-09-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: FIFG, Morocco, Spain, cold store, common fisheries policy, fishing vessel, location of industry

C 136 E/132

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

(2001/C 136 E/152)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2926/00

by Rosa MiguØlez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(19 September 2000)

Subject: Construction of a vast cold-storage plant for fish

The Group of European Pelagic Fish Exporters ((cid:145)The Group(cid:146)), which was set up by Dutch, French and
German shipowners and is based in the Netherlands, has for some time been operating with large super-
trawlers in the Canaries and Saharan bank under private agreements with the Kingdom of Morocco. It now
plans to build one of the biggest cold-storage plants in Europe, with a storage capacity of 60 000 t, with a
view to large-scale operations from the port of Las Palmas. The total investment is put at ESP 3 billion and
The Group is counting on FIFG funding for the project.

One of the arguments put forward by Morocco in relation to the renewal of the agreement was the need
to conserve resources. However, while the Community fleet which previously fished in the waters of the
Canaries and Saharan bank has been tied up for ten months, The Group(cid:146)s super-trawlers have landed more
then 100 000 t of fish caught in the same waters since January alone, virtually the same volume as that
caught in a year by the Community fleet. Constructing the cold-storage plant will enable The Group to
double its fishing effort, currently estimated at 300 000 t per year.

Is the Commission aware of this project? Has it received any such application? Would the construction of
a vast cold-storage plant such as that planned by The Group be covered by the measures eligible under the
FIFG? Do these developments not amount to a flagrant contradiction of a Europe-wide common fisheries
policy?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(26 October 2000)

The Commission was informed in early 1998 of a project to construct and modernise cold stores and
fishery product handling installations of the port of Las Palmas to meet the needs of a fleet of pelagic
trawlers operating off West Africa and wishing to use Las Palmas as home port and as marketing base for
African pelagic fish.

It was told that the investment, which would be in two stages, would given its size relaunch the port(cid:146)s
economy and rectify a worrying financial situation linked to the reduction in fishing activity of recent
years.

The Commission is aware of the concerns expressed over the possible impact of the investment on fishing
in the region.

Such a project is in theory eligible for Community part-financing from the Financial Instrument for
Fisheries Guidance. The Commission has asked the Spanish authorities what their intentions are.

The Commission checks that national structural aid programmes are compatible with common fisheries
policy objectives (see Articles 1 and 3 of Regulation (EC) No 2792/99 laying down detailed rules and
arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries sector (1)). It will give all necessary
attention to the opinions of all interested parties.

(1) OJ L 337, 30.12.1999.