Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-05-12-Speech-4-153"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20050512.22.4-153"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, Commissioner, thank you very much for what you said. It clearly indicates your sensitivity towards the urgent problem, indeed the tragedy, currently facing the Spanish countryside.
At the present time, Community solidarity should also be demonstrated through the release of resources from this fund to cover, at least, the costs sustained by many Spanish farmers due to loss of productive capacity, since the frost in question has damaged numerous plantations, often irreversibly.
As your draft resolution points out, the frost and drought are causing damage to the economies and living conditions of many areas this year.
Mr President, I shall attempt to sum up.
Taking advantage of the presence of the Commissioner, I should like to urge the Commission to be flexible, since the situation experienced in Spain is ultimately the result of a climate disaster, the kind of event for which this Solidarity Fund was first set up.
Apart from referring to this fund, the resolution also mentions simple measures that can be applied. I hope that the Spanish Government will act quickly and that we shall be able to implement these measures.
My political group has proposed this series of measures in this resolution, and I hope that they will be approved by plenary.
Unfortunately, you have confirmed some of my suspicions about the Spanish Government’s inertia in this connection. I hope that this resolution and other measures that we are adopting as a matter of urgency in this Parliament will also be a wake-up call to our government.
Commissioner, the damage caused in Spain by the frost and drought is already in excess of EUR 2 000 million, representing a third of the aid received by our country under the common agricultural policy.
According to the estimates made by farming organisations, the effects of the bad climatic conditions suffered in January, February and March will go on being felt for a number of years, since a substantial number of trees have been lost, and farmers will not regain their productive capacity in the short term.
What has been most affected is production in terms of fruit, olives, plants, flowers and crops. Cattle breeding has also been affected by the loss of pastureland and the damage caused to the water supply. This is a pressing matter in my own region – that of the Balearic Islands – where, in Menorca, there is currently a shortage of more than 1 500 tonnes of food for the animals – a very serious situation for them.
The shortage of pastureland, combined with the problems in piping water to farms, has also caused extraordinary harm to cattle throughout Spain. The increase in fuel prices also exacerbates an already critical situation, so it would be as well to take account of the requests that are being made for a European directive to be prepared that would slow down this increase in fuel prices, which is such a burden on our farmers.
The Spanish regions most affected by this frost and drought are as follows: Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia, where 50 000 hectares of olives may disappear, with a major environmental disaster somewhere along the line and, shortly afterwards, a possible process of desertification; Aragon, Castille-La Mancha, Catalonia, Estremadura and, as I said, the Balearics; and La Rioja, with its vineyards, and Galicia.
The European Union should devise specific instruments for tackling extreme situations such as this disaster happening in Spain. I should be grateful to you, Commissioner, if the matter of this insurance fund could also be addressed. These are practical measures that need to be implemented as soon as possible.
The Solidarity Fund was set up a few years ago following the floods, remembered by all of us, in the centre of Europe. As you mentioned, it was also used for some very practical measures. Think of the aid granted to Spain following the accident involving the
the funds duly requested by the People’s Party government or the money used to restore the vegetation in a number of areas affected by the fires."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples