Brussels, 09/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - Regulation, but not protection: that is the main message sent out by the European Parliament (EP) from Strasbourg on Thursday 8 July, with its adoption of the report by Alain Cadec (EPP, France) on the import into the EU of fisheries and aquaculture products. The EP held to the position of its fisheries committee in recommending the retention of “reasonable tariff protection” which should continue to be an “important and legitimate instrument enabling the authorities to regulate imports” (see EUROPE 10167). The EP also called for only products which meet the same health, environmental and social standards as those produced in the EU should be imported. It called for a European eco-label (with strict quality and traceability criteria) to provide consumers with better information on the quality of the products.
During the plenary session debate, Cadec stated that “more than 60%” of fisheries and aquaculture products consumed in the Europe came from third countries. This worryingly high level of dependence on imports has a dual cause: the reduction in Community production (down 30% in the last 10 years) and the ever-widening opening of the Community market to imports through the trade policies conducted by the Commission over the same period. “These developments are putting Community fishermen in difficulty and, paradoxically, are making it hard for them to sell their catches at sufficiently high prices, even though supply cannot meet demand for most species,” Cadec pointed out.
European fishermen have accepted the environmental, social and health rules imposed on them, but are “bitter” that these rules are not also applied to the massive imports from outside the EU.
“The survival of European fisheries is not open to negotiation,” Cadec argued, setting out the EP's three main demands: - 1) “the retention by the EU of significant tariff protection for fisheries and aquaculture products” which maintains the value of preferences granted to some third countries, including developing countries, and the effectiveness of WTO mechanisms “to ensure supply to our processing industry”; “these products must be taken out of the tariff mills and must be treated as sensitive products for the application of the Swiss formula”; - 2) the need to “make trade preferences granted to some third countries conditional on compliance with strict environmental, social and health standards is the minimum starting point”; - 3) the main responsibility in trade negotiations on fisheries and aquaculture products must be transferred from Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht to Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki: “This would allow the particularity of fisheries and aquaculture products to be better taken into account”. Cadec said, too, in a press release that the “Directorate General Trade too often uses fisheries products as a makeweight for benefits in other sectors. It is the fisheries commissioner who should negotiate on fisheries products”.
Cadec also said that the “Doha Round at the WTO is becoming bogged down, providing the opportunity for reconsideration of some unhelpful concessions the Commission was preparing to make on behalf of the European Union”. Additionally, on the initiative of Commissioner De Gucht, the European Commission has just opened a public consultation exercise with a view to drafting new guidelines for the common trade policy, as part of the EUROPE 2020 strategy. “The European Parliament now has co-decision making powers, on both trade and fisheries policies, and it fully intends to have its voice heard and its viewpoint respected in these areas,” he said.
Maria Damanaki has shown herself sensitive to the issues raised by the EP, such as unfair competition from third countries. “One of the biggest challenges we have will be precisely to do our best in order to secure a level playing field for all products placed on the EU market,” she said, citing, for example, the need to work together to fully and effectively implement legislation on illegal fishing.
She remains committed to promoting observance by the partners of the EU of all international principles and instruments of good governance, and also responsible conduct from them on environmental protection and social conditions.
The commissioner said, too, that EU trade policy should continue to take account of “the complex nature of the EU's fishing sector and its economic and social realities”. She said she was looking forward to working with De Gucht “in order to secure the necessary time for the adjustments that are needed”, taking into account the pace of the ongoing CFP (common fisheries policy) reform.
She gave her backing to other points in the report, on: - the reform of the Common Organisation of the Market (CMO) in fisheries products (strengthening producer organisations, measures to guarantee fishermen's incomes and market stability, improved marketing of fisheries products); - Community eco-labelling specific to produce from the sea (“The Commission is ready to work on legislative initiatives aiming at giving consumers the information they need,” she said).
Karel De Gucht gave little away on the main demands from the EP (fisheries products being considered sensitive products, transfer of responsibilities from DG Trade to DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries). He gave assurances, however, that the Commission defends the interests of the EU fisheries sector in trade negotiations and takes its concerns into account as far as possible, “even when faced with strong pressure from our trading partners”.
With the debate on the report running behind schedule, the end of discussions was disturbed by movement and chatter in the Chamber, much to the annoyance of the rapporteur, Alain Cadec. “I feel that the behaviour of our colleagues is completely lacking in respect and is unacceptable in a Parliament such as ours. It is appalling the way you are behaving. I'm ashamed! You have only one thing in mind: voting and getting back home. We are working on an important report. At least have the decency to listen to what is being said or leave the Chamber,” he told those responsible. (L.C./transl.rt)