European Parliament
President.
Question No 46 by Willy Meyer Pleite 
Subject: Situation of Spanish shipyards
The workers at the ten publicly-owned Spanish shipyards grouped within the IZAR company are now undertaking numerous mobilisations and stoppages in various cities in Spain, in protest at the Industrial Viability Plan for the sector of the State Industrial Holding Company (SEPI), which would mean splitting off the military from the civilian shipyards and privatising the latter. This is happening because the outgoing Aznar government granted 'illegal' aids to the publicly-owned shipyards involving a sum of EUR 1100 million, which now has to be reimbursed to the Commission.
Does the Commission intend to negotiate the reimbursement of the above illegal aids in order to prevent the break-up and closure of the Spanish shipyards?
Does it not consider that the aids concerned should be declared 'legal' with a view to ensuring the viability of the Spanish shipbuilding industry?

