WRITTEN QUESTION E-0089/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Negotiation of the new fisheries agreement between the European Union and Morocco.
24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/141 (2000/C 303 E/152) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0089/00 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (26 January 2000) Subject: Negotiation of the new fisheries agreement between the European Union and Morocco The initial public reports concerning the first interview, on 20 December 1999, between Mr Franz Fischler, Commissioner, and the Moroccan authorities with regard to the negotiation of the new fisheries agreement between the EU and Morocco are highly unfavourable. It proved impossible for the negotiations to be launched and the public statements made by members of the Moroccan Government appear to allow no possibility of establishing new agreements which do not involve the setting up of joint ventures. If these implications thereof would be that Spanish ü and reports are accurate (and if they are, the practical therefore Galician ü vessels would no longer be able to fish in Moroccan waters), what negotiating positions and instruments does the Commission intend to adopt and use? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (25 February 2000) The Commission can confirm that the position set out by the Commissioner for agriculture and fisheries to the Moroccan authorities during his visit to Rabat on 20 December 1999 is based on the need to establish a new framework for relations in the fisheries sector between the Community and Morocco which will be mutually beneficial and take account of the needs of the industry on both sides. The Commission reaffirms the negotiating position expressed over recent months, in particular in the negotiating instructions approved by the Council in October 1999. The Commission will make use of all the negotiating instruments available to it to establish a new framework for partnership between the Community and Morocco. (2000/C 303 E/153) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0105/00 by Gerardo Galeote Quecedo (PPE-DE) and JosØ Salafranca SÆnchez-Neyra (PPE-DE) to the Commission (26 January 2000) Subject: Middle East peace process and negotiations between Syria and Israel Syria and Israel have now opened peace negotiations in Shepherdstown with the United States acting as mediator, and have begun to address issues linked to security and the normalisation of relations. Given the importance which the European Union attaches to the Middle East peace process, in which relations between Syria and Israel play a crucial part, and bearing in mind that, up till now, the European public has not seen many signs of European Union influence in that process, can the Commission answer the following: ü what plans has the Commission drawn up to ensure European Union participation in the negotiations between Syrians and Israelis and in other negotiations linked to the Middle East peace process? ü what is the Commissionís estimate of the costs of European Union participation in security and peace- keeping systems on the border between Israel and Syria?