Brussels, 12/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - As Romano Prodi expected (see EUROPE yesterday p 5) and Commissioner Fischer too (see above), the President of the European Commission and the Fisheries Commissioner have been authorised by the European Commission to introduce proposals allowing for aid to be swiftly transferred to the sectors hit hardest by the oil slick provoked by the sinking of the Prestige.
Mr Fischler stressed that, "The strong economic dependency of these fishing and aquaculture sectors in these regions", called for such an intervention. The Commissioner will be chairing the Fisheries Council on 16 December where he will present these proposals that aim to make FIFG (Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance) more flexible in order to allow for compensation for losses in the aquaculture and shellfish breeding sectors. Compensation is also going to be granted for the halt to activities for more than two months and the 4% FIFG ceiling will not apply to the affected sectors. The Commission will also propose authorising aid for the transfer of benefits to oil slick victims, from budgetary resources that were planned for the re-conversion of the Spanish fishing fleets that fished in Moroccan waters.
The EPP-ED group at the European Parliament have written a letter to President Cox asking the European Council (which will be discussing the sinking of the Prestige and its consequences on Friday afternoon) to assign part of the new EU Solidarity Funds (created after last summer's floods) for cleaning-up operations on the coastal zones suffering from the oil slick.
The Spanish government is expected to request greater availability of loans through the Solidarity Funds because as the Spanish Prime Minister acknowledged and Enrique Baron of the Socialist EP group recognised, "we have already lost too much time". Mr Baron explained that, "There is a sum of 54 million euro for regional, mainly natural, disasters, and under any interpretation of the rules, Galicia and other affected areas are entitled to this support. But time is running out: this fund lapses on 31 December". Mr Baron also supported the demand of other Socialist EP members to set up a Temporary Committee of Inquiry in an effort to find out who is liable in the affair and examine all aspects of maritime safety. British Labour Party member, Brian Simpson, declared that "this is a European disaster…many questions remain unanswered".