B3-0207/94

Resolution on the crisis in the fisheries market and the continuing failure of the EU to provide stability in the salmon market and on the economic consequences of Norwegian salmon dumping

The European Parliament,

A.having regard to the inadequacy of recent EU attempts to achieve stability in the Community's salmon market,

B.whereas it has just been announced that the Commission has introduced a new minimum price for salmon, the details of which remain to be communicated to Members of the European Parliament,

C.whereas it has been calculated by salmon farmers in Shetland that a 15-20% increase in the MIP which was agreed last November would be required to enable Scottish salmon farmers to compete on equal terms with the Norwegians in their European export markets,

D.whereas it is understood that the Commission's decision of Monday, 7 February would represent an increase of only 5% over the MIP fixed for salmon last November,

E.having regard to the difficulties which certain peripheral regions of Ireland and Scotland face in marketing their salmon on the EU market as a result of high transport costs,

1.Welcomes the Commission's decision to introduce a new minimum price level for salmon, but expresses concern that the new measure may not provide adequate support to the EU's salmon farming industry, sections of which have been exposed to sustained unfair competition as a result of Norwegian salmon dumping over several years;

2.Notes that Scottish salmon farmers were complaining that the original MIP was not holding and therefore urges the UK Government to make strenuous efforts to ensure that the new MIP for salmon is not undercut by Norwegian salmon farmers, in accordance with their exclusive competence in this field;

3.Invites the Commission to explore whether additional assistance could be offered to the sections of the salmon farming industry which have suffered the most as a result of such unfair competition, and notably to the peripheral islands and regions of Ireland and Scotland which have had to contend with the additional burden of very high transport costs;

4.Notes in this respect that the Commission has presented a proposal, to be financed under the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF, which seeks to assist the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira and the French Overseas Department of Guiana, to market certain fishery products by means of a new system to compensate these islands for the additional costs incurred as a result of their very remote location (COM(93)0630); notes, furthermore, that salmon shipments from places like Shetland are unable to qualify for the cheap air fares which are available for the shipment of fish from the Canaries and Madeira on the back of mass tourism; calls therefore on the Commission to undertake a detailed examination of the possibility of creating a similar special measure for the remote parts of Ireland and Scotland;

5.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the UK and Irish Governments.