§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has made to the European Commission about the French emergency aid package for the French fishing industry; how much of this aid is new money; for what purposes it is paid; and what assessment she has made of the resulting advantage of French industry over the United Kingdom industry.
§ Mr. JackAccording to the announcement by the French Government, the aid package takes a variety of forms, including the rescheduling of loans, social payments to fishermen's families, advancement of reimbursement of market withdrawal costs, government-funded promotion of fish, and reduced national insurance contributions. The European Commission has responsibility for assessing state aids and for overseeing their compliance with articles 92 and 93 of the treaty. We have written to the Commission asking them to consider urgently whether the aid package gives French fishermen an unfair economic advantage and whether all its elements are in accordance with EU legal provisions. I understand that the Commission is actively pursuing this.