Brussels, 20/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - With its adoption by 24 votes to one of the report on the common organisation of the market (CMO) in fisheries and aquaculture products, the European Parliament (EP) fisheries committee gave its backing on Tuesday 20 June to reducing discards at sea, establishing a European public eco-label by 1 January 2015 and enhancing the role of producer organisations (POs). The report by Struan Stevenson (ECR, UK) on the CMO strand of the reform of the common fisheries policy (CFP) will be debated and voted on by the European Parliament in September.
At this point, the fisheries committee rejects the Commission proposal of a ban, opting for the more realistic position of reducing discards. In this, the committee's position is slightly more conservative than that of the Council, which backs gradual elimination. The committee fears that, if all discards are to be banned, a parallel market for smaller (or juvenile) fish might be created.
A discard ban would require fishermen to land their entire catches, even unmarketable species. Stevenson said that the aim was to ensure that there would be fish left in the sea. The priority, then, must be given to reducing discards through more selective fishing gear. The problem is what to do with the additional fish landed to comply with the objective of reducing discards. If small fish are landed, there already is a market for fish oil and meal, Stevenson said. Adult fish landed because of the discard arrangements must, the committee says, be sold on the market, not given free to charities or schools or hospitals, he went on. The money brought in by the sale of these catches (small fish and adults landed) could, according to the committee, be used to: - provide compensation for fishermen and vessel owners for being required to land the catches; - build up a national or transnational fund for fish conservation.
The issue of discards will be broached mainly in the basic regulation on the CFP, which is the subject of a separate EP report.
More power for POs.
The EP fisheries committee came out in favour of increasing the powers of producer organisations. The PO collective fund will be retained. POs will contribute to reducing discards and improving the selectivity of fishing gear. The Commission has taken the view that a producer organisation may be deemed to be representative when it accounts for at least 65% (compared with 30% under current rules) of the quantity of fisheries products considered to have been marketed the previous year. The EP committee wants to see the current rules remain unchanged, for fear that several POs will be ruled out.
POs will also be able to contribute to job creation in coastal regions and encourage young people to join the sector with a reasonable income. POs may be considered as job-creating organisations thanks to an amendment put down by Alain Cadec (EPP, France).
Labelling.
The committee proposes that, on labels providing customer information, the date of landing should be compulsory and the date of catch optional. The committee members call on the European Commission to bring forward proposals on a European public eco-label by 1 January 2015.
Transferable fishing concessions.
Alain Cadec is happy. He was successful in having mention of transferable fishing concessions removed from the CMO regulation, overturning the rapporteur's proposal.
Storage aid.
The fisheries committee backed storage aid in the CMO. POs will be able to receive public aid to fund storage aid. However, it will be as part of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) that it will be determined whether or not storage aid is to decrease - the Commission is proposing phasing it out by 2019. Cadec, as rapporteur on the EMFF, has called for the aid to be continued as a market regulation mechanism (see EUROPE 10628).
The report on the CMO is the first of the package on the reform to be put to the vote in the fisheries committee. Stevenson said that this will give an indication of the stance the committee will take on the two other reports (basic regulation and EMFF). (LC/transl.rt)