Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-12-02-Speech-4-034"
Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
---|---|
rdf:type | |
dcterms:Date | |
dcterms:Is Part Of | |
dcterms:Language | |
lpv:document identification number |
"en.19991202.3.4-034"2
|
lpv:hasSubsequent | |
lpv:speaker | |
lpv:spokenAs | |
lpv:translated text |
"Madam President, I too congratulate Mr Gallagher on his excellent work. We have spent two years extensively discussing the Community fisheries market. It is now finally the turn of the whole House to adopt a stance through this report which was approved by a large majority in the Committee on Fisheries.
Our market has a deficit of fishery products. Some 60% of the fishery products consumed in Europe are imported. The Community fisheries sector is extraordinarily active and competitive and plays an important role in maintaining economic and social cohesion in Europe. Our duty is therefore to ensure and guarantee its future. The European market is not a closed market. It is open in that products from GSP countries enter free of tariffs or at low tariffs. We make strict demands on our fishermen in terms of gear, conservation and handling of catches which are not compulsory for foreign fleets. For us as Socialists, the Community preference is therefore our commitment to the Community fisheries sector, to our people, fishermen, fishing industry workers and shipowners who hope to be able to continue their activities and keep their jobs.
We should not therefore, as proposed by the Commission, replace the current and flexible tariff quota system with the total or partial suspension of tariff duties. We oppose this removal of tariffs because we believe that we do not need to protect, as Mrs Langenhagen said, but at least defend a competitive and modern sector which is still not prepared for total liberalisation. The same is true of many other sectors.
Many questions continue to concern us. These include the cut in financing which excludes important growth sectors such as aquaculture, the lack of definition of the information to be received by the consumer, as specifically mentioned by Mrs Fraga Estévez, with regard to the distribution of areas proposed by the Commission, and the lack of other relevant data such as minimum sizes.
As Socialists, our priorities include consumer protection. The defence of quality is one way of protecting these rights. We therefore want to encourage measures which emphasise quality fishery products and, at the same time, we ask for sustainable management of resources to ensure the future of fishing. Fishing must be allowed, but in accordance with the requirements of the market and the respectful management of the product.
To sum up, we Socialists want to defend European producers, consumers and importers and we believe that with the report approved by the Committee on Fisheries, with the excellent work carried out by Mrs Fraga Estévez – who I congratulate – and with the agreement reached by the Council of Ministers, we can, in the main, be satisfied."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples