Blocking of European agriculture and fisheries funds in Catalonia

27.9.2017

Question for written answer E-005997-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Ramon Tremosa i Balcells (ALDE)

The Spanish Government has issued Order HFP/886/2017 of 20 September 2017 establishing the unavailability of appropriations in the budget of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia for 2017. This order applies to public authority appropriations not listed in Annex I and II of the Agreement of the Delegated Government Commission for Economic Affairs of 20 November 2015. In practice, this means that all the Catalonian government’s accounts earmarked for specific purposes have been blocked.

The result is that all agriculture and fisheries programmes are now blocked: in Catalonia, it is the autonomous community government that is responsible for measures linked to the application and enforcement of European legislation (implementation, monitoring, control, surveillance etc.) in the field of food safety, animal and plant health, the implementation of the CAP and the exercise of the fundamental right to vocational training in agriculture and fisheries. The Spanish government’s actions are thus having a serious adverse effect on the implementation of the CAP in Catalonia.

1. Does the Commission take the view that this disproportionate and discriminatory blocking of appropriations, as approved by the Spanish Government, complies with European rules relating to the implementation of the CAP?

2. What steps will the Commission take to ensure that Spain reverses these measures and complies with the rules set out in European law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights?