Gabriel Mato presided over the Canary Islands Parliament during the sixth legislature (between 2003 and 2007). A few months ago he returned to intervene in the commission on the stage of the European Union for the period from 2021 to 2027, in his capacity as MEP of the PP.
-¿Are the conditions set by the European Commission for financing recovery projects an antidote to the fuss of the respective governments?
“I wish they were and would serve so that the Government of Pedro Sánchez would make responsible, equitable, supportive and transparent use of the largest economic fund that the European Union has made available to overcome an unprecedented crisis like this. But the reality is that in recent weeks we have witnessed one more example of a way of proceeding that we already know: the total and absolute lack of transparency on the part of the national Executive; in this case, as regards the distribution of funds for the autonomous communities, which, by the way, they have not made participants. I hope I am wrong, but I suspect that Spain will not be able to maintain the funds, because it will suspend the two annual examinations that Brussels has already announced ”.
-¿Whose fault would it be?
“If that happens, it will be the sole responsibility of the Executive of Sánchez, due to his mismanagement, not because of the autonomous communities, as the Ministry of Finance is trying to show in recent days. You cannot manage a fund like this without counting on the autonomies and then asking them for responsibilities if something does not work. It is not an instrument of a specific government or of any specific ideology, contrary to what Pedro Sánchez seems to believe ”.
-¿What is the bill for Brexi on both sides of the border?
“I maintain that we lost all those involved, but I have also defended at all times that a bad agreement would always be better than a no agreement. Even at this time, when the effective departure of the United Kingdom has already taken place, we must be vigilant regarding certain aspects that are not fully covered in the agreement document. An example is the possible trade agreements that the United Kingdom decides to establish from now on with countries outside the EU and that can seriously affect the European agricultural sector if they decide not to consider safeguard mechanisms. Let us not forget that from January 1 they can make use of their sovereignty without notifying the European Union. Our role from now on is to be very vigilant so that Europe’s interests are not put at risk. For this reason, the presence of the Canary Islands in the European Parliament is so important ”.
-¿How is fishing compatible with biodiversity?
“With scientific criteria, as long as they are realistic and take into account the specific needs and conditions of each place. As simple as that, because it does not make sense or favor greater sustainability if an abstract and arbitrary numerical objective is applied for two fishing areas that have nothing to do with each other. What do the marine ecosystems of the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean have in common? Not even if we speak of the same species, such as bluefin tuna, can we compare the situation of the fishery in two such different areas. So this is one of my lines of work in the European Parliament. My report on the Biodiversity Strategy 2030 was recently debated in the Fisheries Commission, in which I am committed to promoting the coexistence of the protection of biodiversity with fishing activity. I will never tire of defending the work that the vast majority of fishermen do. They are not the main cause of damage to the seabed. They work under strict sustainability standards and are the true guardians of the oceans. In the last ten years, the fish population in the Northeast Atlantic has increased by 50% and overfishing in the Union is at an all-time low ”.
-¿The regulation for the control of the fleet navigates in a sea of doubts?
“The procedure in the Fisheries Commission is concluding. We still don’t know how the text will look. It is a very long and complex regulation, which has been the subject of some 1,400 amendments. The European People’s Group wants a balanced and gradual text that harmonizes sanctions in the face of the current enormous dispersion, that recognizes the uniqueness of artisanal fishing and facilitates control without bureaucratically stifling the work of operators. Then we will have to wait for the plenary session and trialogues [negociación entre el Parlamento, el Consejo y la Comisión] It is a long process still pending ”.
-¿What monsters does the sector face?
“Right now, I am concerned about the impact of the trade agreement with the United Kingdom, and a reduction in the fishing quotas of our fleet. At this moment, we are awaiting clarification from the Commissioner for the Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, and from representatives of the EU Council of Ministers. But perhaps the biggest threat facing fishing is Madrid’s thunderous silence, with Pedro Sánchez refusing to appear in Congress and applauding those cuts. To all this we have to add the fear that Boris Johnson will come to consider the possibility of putting obstacles and restrictions on Spanish companies that operate under the British flag ”.
-¿The funds of the Posei For the period 2021-2027, do they fertilize the land to guarantee the future of Canarian agriculture?
“No, and the worst mistake we can make is to trust ourselves and think that the transitional agreement for the next two years makes things easier. Now begins an arduous negotiation work, impacting day by day, to be able to guarantee that, when this two-year period ends, the Posei [programa de opciones específicas por la lejanía y la insularidad] of the necessary resources. In Europe, things change rapidly and today’s achievements may not hold up tomorrow.
-¿What leads you to think that the Canary Islands are alone in the problem of irregular immigration?
“This is what the facts show us. For the Government of Spain, the simplest thing is to turn the Canary Islands into an open-air prison, to lock up the more than 7,000 people who are currently in the Islands in a territory far from the continent. They have looked the other way before the overcrowding of immigrants on a pier in Arguineguín, before the continuous altercations in the street, before the irreparable damage to the image of the Archipelago as the best tourist destination in Europe. They have deceived us by telling us that it will be temporary, when, in fact, we all know that it is not true and that the transfer of immigrants to the camps will only make what they want to sell us as temporary. So yes, whether due to negligence, disability or both, by Pedro Sánchez, the Canary Islands are alone and overwhelmed by unsustainable migratory pressure. And the European Union has to take measures in the face of such neglect, because, in the attempt to reach the Canary Islands, more than 2,000 people have already lost their lives. It is true that the EU has also looked the other way for a long time, but it is beginning to realize that it is a global problem that affects us all. And it is that, deep down, the credibility of the European integration project lies largely in its ability to demonstrate that it is truly supportive ”.
-¿Are the rights to a decent home and to disconnect from work tangible or merely illustrative concepts?
“Although they seem otherwise, both can be possible. Regarding the first, I believe that it is necessary for Europeans to live in decent, but also affordable, conditions. However, the issue of housing is the competence of the member states and it is these that must promote concrete measures in this regard. A key policy, for example, could be to improve access to credit services with affordable loans for youth, low-middle-income families, and people from disadvantaged groups. As for the second, the right to establish the limits between private life and working life, and even more so with the great increase in teleworking due to the pandemic, is another essential issue. While regulating this right is a difficult task, a balance must be found. The culture of the always active. That would mean a setback in the rights of many people ”.
-¿What contagious effects does the coronavirus pandemic have on the community system?
“Without a doubt, the restlessness and insecurity. We see the best example in Spain, where there are seventeen autonomous communities that are each doing what they consider best, because there has not been a global management of the pandemic. The central government has removed the responsibility, when its role was to give a uniform response. In which country has it been seen that the head of healthcare management [Salvador Illa, sustituido por Carolina Darias] you are thinking about an electoral campaign [la de las autonómicas catalanas] at the worst moment of the pandemic? The result, the discredit on political decisions ”.
-¿Is Europe vaccinated against nationalist fever?
“No. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to find an effective vaccine against either nationalist or populist fever. They are opportunistic viruses, which are always on the lookout, waiting for a moment of weakness in the community system, for any crisis, for an immunological fracture, to attack and become stronger ”.
-¿How many faces does the EU present to Venezuela?
“For years, I have been critical of the shyness of the European Union when it comes to condemning the violation of human rights in Venezuela. But it must be recognized that in the last year it has shown greater sensitivity. In addition to the resolutions of the European Parliament calling for human rights to be respected, the availability of food, the supply of medicines and health services to be ensured, the approval, in December, of the law Magnitsky [una norma similar a la de Estados Unidos, inspirada en un opositor ruso encarcelado, torturado y asesinado por exponer la corrupción de alto nivel]. It is a mechanism to punish those who violate human rights. The sanctions are of two types: the prohibition of entry and transit of convicted persons and the freezing of assets. It is an important step, although it is also true that it has weak points, such as the prohibition of entry into European territory depends on the criteria of each State ”.
-¿Joe Biden Will it end America’s international hesitation?
“The era of Donald Trump has not been exactly positive for either the United States or the rest of the world. Let us hope that this new Administration will channel some now very weakened international relations and intensify a constructive, non-confrontational dialogue ”.
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