Brussels, 16/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - Adopting the report by Spanish Socialist Rosa Migeles Ramos on the programme to convert the Spanish and Portuguese fishing fleets affected by the non-renewal of the fishing agreement with Morocco, the EP amended the Commission's proposal to allow other parts of the industry (processing, fish farming and companies located on shore) to benefit from the aid alongside shipowners and fishing staff. The EP did not comment on the funding of this aid (EUR 197 million from the flexibility instrument in 2002) since the issue may be discussed during the Parliament/Council negotiations on the Preliminary Draft Budget for 2002.
Parliament criticised the inflexible nature of the proposal and demanded the following amendments: allowing subcontractors (that prove that they have lost at least 70% of their turnover) to benefit from the regulation's aid measures; allowing new vessels (rather than simply those more than 5 years old) to receive subsidies for the transfer of ships to third countries; making shipowners and fishermen who have found another job eligible for aid under the programme until a new fisheries agreement is signed with Morocco (rather than simply those who received compensation for at least nine months in 2000 and 2001 after they stopped work); allowing fishermen (and not only shipowners) to receive a v20% top up from the public purse if their ships are scrapped, transferred to third countries or converted;
Under pressure from Liberal and EPP MEPs, Parliament refused to amend the percentage of aid granted to each category of measures as the Fisheries Committee's had suggested so the criteria for granting the aid remains identical to those put forward by the Commission: 40% for scrapping ships; 28% for the definitive transfer of a ship to a third country; and 32% for social and economic measures.