WRITTEN QUESTION E-1228/01 by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission. Failure of negotiations on the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement ‐ Cooperation with Morocco.
Date: 2001-04-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Morocco, Spain, cooperation policy, financial compensation of an agreement, fishing agreement, fishing industry, free-trade agreement

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/225

The Commission has repeatedly stressed the need to ensure that corporate restructuring is done in
a socially acceptable way and as, a consequence, has underlined the urgency of strengthening employees(cid:146)
information and consultation rights, particularly in the context of the spate of restructuring and the
numerous mergers and take-overs faced with on an almost daily basis.

This was the central preoccupation of the Commission in the preparation of its proposal for a Council
Directive establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the Community (4)
which is on the table of the Council of Ministers. The aim of the proposed Directive is to improve the
information and consultation rights of workers employed in individual companies as well as to fill in the
gaps in provisions for employee information and consultation at national and Community levels. The
proposal has to be seen as one concrete answer at Community level to the concerns of European citizens
resulting from the insecurity emerging from successive waves of mass operations of corporate restructur-
ing, mergers, acquisitions, etc, normally accompanied by job-losses.

This Directive once adopted by the Council and implemented in the Member States will afford to
employees in companies of at least 50 workers (even if they are subsidiaries of a multinational group)
a number of basic rights: the right to information about recent and upcoming developments in company
activity, about the company(cid:146)s economic and financial situation, the right to be informed and consulted on
employment issues and on decisions likely to lead to substantial changes in work organisation as well as
the right to know how the company proposes to handle those changes.

In its Social Policy Agenda (5), the Commission proposed the creation of an observatory on change to be
developed in the Dublin Foundation. The proposal was endorsed by the Stockholm European Council of
March 2001 stating that such an observatory should be set up as soon as possible.

the Commission intends to present a Green Paper

in June 2001 on corporate social
Moreover,
responsibility underlining that restructuring in a socially responsible manner means to balance the
interests and concerns of all the stakeholders who are affected by the changes and decisions.

In conclusion, Europe must face industrial restructuring (cid:129) which can contribute to increased competitive-
ness and economic growth (cid:129) and its social consequences by combining innovation with social cohesion
and improving its capacity to manage change. The Commission takes a comprehensive approach as
outlined above through improving the capacity to anticipate and manage change through the Dublin
Observatory; by creating legal mechanisms to ensure adequate protection of workers in situations of
industrial restructuring; and by developing corporate social responsibility.

(1) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998.
(2) OJ L 61, 5.3.1977.
(3) OJ L 201, 17.7.1998.
(4) OJ C 2, 5.1.1999.
(5) COM(2000) 379 final.

(2001/C 318 E/246)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1228/01

by JosØ Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(26 April 2001)

Subject: Failure of negotiations on the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement (cid:129) Cooperation with Morocco

In his reply to a question from Fernando FernÆndez Martin, MEP (E-2594/00) (1), Commissioner
Christopher Patten stated that the aid granted during the period 1996-1999 to Morocco under the
MEDA programme alone amounted to € 630,29 million, representing an annual average over this four-
year period of € 157,5 million. We assume that the present amount of financial aid to Morocco in the
framework of Community cooperation programmes is at least equal to the above amounts although we do
not have the exact figures.

C 318 E/226

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

the failure of the negotiations on the EU-Morocco fisheries
According to Portuguese press reports,
agreement was, to a large extent, due to (cid:145)a difference of ESC 5 billion per year in financial compensation(cid:146)
which the Moroccan Government demanded and to which the Commission could not agree. This
difference of ESC 5 billion is equal to € 24,9 million, which is well below the level of annual EU aid
granted to Morocco.

It is understandable that Morocco or any other country should decide to negotiate its resources at a higher
price and this is entirely within its sovereign rights. However, a country which chooses to conclude
agreements on this basis also correspondingly reduces its level of dependence and need for external aid. In
other words, acceptance of Morocco(cid:146)s demands could apparently have been offset by a greater or, at least,
equivalent reduction in Community financial aid under the cooperation programmes. Such a policy, i.e.
greater independence through effective use of one(cid:146)s own resources and hence less need for external
support, could actually be justified.

It is also clear that the failure of the negotiations on the fisheries agreement had serious economic and
social implications for fishermen and the economy as a whole in Portugal and Spain.

Community cooperation programmes form part of
international solidarity policies, which are of
unquestionable importance, especially vis-(cid:224)-vis the Moroccan people and the Kingdom of Morocco,
a neighbour and friend. However,
in the field of solidarity, the Commission and other Community
institutions have a duty, first and foremost, to EU citizens, whose welfare has, in this particular case, been
seriously undermined.

Will the Commission therefore state whether it sought to defend the EU(cid:146)s interests, and in particular the
interests of Portuguese and Spanish fishermen, by taking a firm stance in negotiations with the Kingdom of
Morocco and setting off the financial compensation requested by Morocco with respect to the fisheries
agreement against the Community aid granted under cooperation programmes? If not, why not?

(1) OJ C 113 E, 18.4.2001, p. 128.

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(13 June 2001)

The Commission and the Kingdom of Morocco signed an Association Agreement which came into force
on 1 March 2000. Its long-term aim is the creation of a free trade area between both parties.

The dismantling of tariffs linked to the Agreement(cid:146)s implementation will mean on the one hand the
gradual opening up of the Moroccan market, which will be advantageous to Community operators, and on
the other hand, will require a major effort by Moroccan producers to cope with European competition.
The MEDA Programme was developed to help Morocco improve its economy during the transition
towards free trade.

Nevertheless, it is important to remember in this context that since the Association Agreement came into
force, the dismantling of tariffs has meant a short-term reduction in the Moroccan annual budget, which
the MEDA Programme barely offsets as a result of
the limited Community funding available for
cooperation with other countries.

EU-Moroccan relations reflect the two sides(cid:146) willingness to work towards economic integration in the
interests of both parties. Cooperation on fisheries, although important, is only one of a wide range of areas
covered. During the fisheries agreement negotiations the Commission took account of every aspect of
European interests in its relations with Morocco.