§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what EU funds have been made available to Spanish fishermen to compensate them for the loss of access to Moroccan fisheries waters. [116249]
§ Mr. MorleyAccording to our information, all compensation paid so far to Spanish fishermen, available from 30 November 1999 to 31 May 2000, has come from national funds made available by the Spanish Government.
Under the new Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), which came into force on 1 January 2000, aid is available for vessel owners and fishermen whose activities are temporarily ended due to the non-renewal of a fisheries agreement. If offered, this aid would count against the allocation for Spain under the new FIFG.