Portas (UEN). – (PT) Mr President, Commissioner, firstly let us address the situation in hand. On 30 November, Portuguese boats that currently fish in Morocco will stop doing so. As a result, many boat owners will obviously ask for vessels to be decommissioned, thereby adding even further to the graveyard for boats that the common fisheries policy has become. And many fishermen will fall straight into unemployment, thereby adding even further to the poverty trap that the common fisheries policy has become. Another two Portuguese ports will be badly affected if this agreement is not renewed: we cannot fish nor can we work, which is a denial of basic human rights and of citizenship.

Let us now address the situation from the political angle. This situation reflects the incompetence of the Commission and of the Council. The agreement expires on 30 November and the mandate for negotiation does not extend beyond October this year. I have never seen such negligence, such delays, such inertia and such total lack of consideration for fishing countries and for the fishermen of Southern countries. Do not deny it, Commissioner, because it is true.

Secondly, this is a case of negligence on the part of the European Union. We have known of Morocco’s intention not to renew the agreement since the day the last agreement was signed. Years have passed and neither Commissioner Bonino, nor Commissioner Fischler, nor the respective ministers have had the necessary diligence or agility to avoid the need to debate now, a month before a very damaging event takes place, what we can do about it.

On the other hand, the situation shows the foolishness of a certain vision of the European Union’s Economic Policy. We gave Morocco a trade agreement with no time limit. We obtained a fisheries agreement with a time limit. This means that Morocco can place its products in European Union territory at will, but we can only fish in Moroccan water until 30 November 1999. We are conceding much more than we are getting in return, and this is what you get for choosing an unchecked and unfettered globalisation in which you systematically prefer uncontrolled liberalism on a global scale, to the defence of national interests.

Finally, this case shows how mistaken it is to allow federalism into common policies. Morocco’s problem is essentially with Spain. As everyone knows, the Spanish fleet is much bigger, the Spanish fish in competition with the Moroccans; the Portuguese fleet is smaller which means that our fishing does not compete with that of the Moroccans. What is Portugal's situation at the moment? Europe is not able to negotiate with Morocco because Morocco does not want to, and Portugal cannot negotiate with Morocco because Europe will not allow it to! We cannot even guarantee our right to fish, we, who are a maritime nation, nor can we guarantee our right to handle our own affairs, we who are a neighbouring country of Morocco. We entered Europe in order to be part of a solution. In terms of fishing as well as agriculture, this Europe is isolating us as if we were part of the problem!

The only solution is to allow, within the framework of the common fisheries policy, each country to reach bilateral agreements with third countries which do not have agreements with the European Union. And this is what I am asking for in the name of the principle of subsidiarity, with a view to a revision of the common fisheries policy: a member country of the common fisheries policy must be able to make bilateral agreements with third countries as long as an agreement is not already in place between the European Union and those third countries.

Commissioner Fischler, I have been here for three months and I have already seen you harm Portugal’s interests three times: over mad cows where your decision defies belief, over pig-breeding, where your desire to persecute us is unacceptable, and now over fishing where your Commission’s inaction is also unforgivable. I would just like to say one thing to you: I am beginning to be convinced that you think that Portugal is just a beach. If you have the misfortune to go to that beach one day, you will see that the Portuguese fishermen will tell you politely that you are a persona non grata in my country.