Text tabled : A6-0271/2006

  Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE). – Mr President, I voted against my party's whip with regard to the Capoulas Santos report on the fisheries agreement with Guinea-Bissau. Over the last seven years I have become increasingly concerned about the nature of the various fisheries agreements the European Union has with many and various countries. This has been reflected in my voting up until this point.

A few years ago I read the Court of Auditors’ report on a number of these fisheries agreements which raise particular questions and doubts as to whether there are benefits to the countries concerned. Certainly there is little benefit to the local fishing communities, and certainly no benefits to the ecology of the local fisheries. I especially dislike the fact that the EU is hoovering up fishing rights on the cheap for rich and mainly Spanish fishing fleets to abuse, and thus I voted against this particular report.