WRITTEN QUESTION E-0058/03 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. The Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Franz Fischler, and the principle of relative stability in the CFP.
Date: 2003-01-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commissioner, European Parliament, common fisheries policy, fishing regulations, parliamentary debate, report

14.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 192 E/153

(2003/C 192 E/188)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0058/03

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

(22 January 2003)

Subject: The Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Franz Fischler, and the principle of relative

stability in the CFP

During the European Parliament’s debates on the CFP reports the Commissioner for Agriculture and
Fisheries, Mr Franz Fischler, said that the principle of relative stability could not be modified as part of the
common fisheries policy reform, since it constituted part of that policy. Where in the Treaties is it stated
that the principle cannot be modified if the CFP is reformed?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 2003)

The principle of relative stability applied under the common fisheries policy is not provided for in the
Treaties and so is not part of the Community’s primary legislation.

The Council can amend the principle by qualified majority. When considering the reform of the common
fisheries policy the Commission felt it was appropriate to propose maintaining the principle. Relative
stability is part of the basic policy balance on which the common fisheries policy rests, and a large
majority of the Member States favoured keeping it. The Commission does not believe that a valid,
acceptable alternative system exists to replace it.

The Commission has also acknowledged that the principle might be reviewed in the medium or long term.
Furthermore, as part of the reform, the Commission proposed organising in 2003 debates on better
economic management of Community fishing and it will present a report on this topic.

(2003/C 192 E/189)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0085/03

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(23 January 2003)

Subject: Relocation of firms and unemployment

The footwear multinational C & J Clark has just announced that it is to close its factory in Castelo de Paiva,
Portugal. This will cause the loss of around 600 jobs,
in an inland region without any alternative
employment which two years ago suffered the tragic collapse of a bridge, killing 58 people.

Two years ago, the same multinational closed another factory in Arouca, making around 400 workers
redundant.

Bearing in mind the seriousness of the situation, can the Commission answer the following questions:

1. Has the multinational C & J Clark received any type of Community support in Portugal or in any other

EU country?

2. What view does the Commission take of the social responsibility shown by C & J Clark, which within
the space of little more than two years has sought to close two important firms, employing mostly
women, located in inland areas of Portugal where it was or is the main employer?

3. What steps will it take to prevent such irresponsible action on the part of multinationals which,
despite healthy order books, decide to relocate to countries outside the European Union, thereby
worsening the unemployment situation and strangling development in deprived areas of
inland
Portugal?