Brussels, 24/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 25 September the Council of European Ministers will hold a policy debate on the proposal for a regulation for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). This fund will replace the European Fisheries Fund for 2014-2020, and the Cypriot Presidency aims to bring the Council to a partial general approach on this file at the October meeting (in Luxembourg on 22-23 October).
At the two policy debates on the EMFF held by the ministers in March and May, numerous questions were raised on the budgetary envelope proposed for direct management, and the European Commission was asked to clarify its reasons for this proposal. In particular, several delegations asked for a detailed breakdown of the proposed budgetary envelope for the integrated maritime policy, with some judging that the suggested overall amount is too high. Moreover, many delegations considered that the EMFF is very limited as regards support and that it does not answer the objectives of the common fisheries policy (CFP). They asked for additional restructuring measures (aid for decommissioning fishing vessels from the fleet, aid for temporary stops to fishing activity, and aid for investment aboard vessels).
The debate at the Council will focus especially on aid to the fleet. Eight countries (France, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Malta, Ireland, Slovenia and Lithuania) have asked for aid to be planned to implement important decisions that are awaited on the CFP reform, like the gradual elimination of discards and infringement of the maximum sustainable catch in order to manage stocks in 2015 if it is possible, and in 2020 at the latest. These eight countries ask for support to be maintained for the modernisation of fishing vessels, “without any increase in capacity” (see EUROPE 10657). They ask for the EMFF aid to reduce the environmental impact of fishing activity by improving the energy efficiency of fishing vessels “including through the replacement and modernisation of propulsion systems and through more selective gear”. These countries believe that the EMFF should also contribute to an improvement in treatment and conservation conditions for products aboard the vessels - a process which is all the more necessary given the gradual elimination of discards. It should contribute to improving the conditions of life and safety aboard the vessels. They ask for the countries that want it to be authorised to grant public aid to adjust the capacity of the fleet as part of the future fund, through temporarily or permanently stopping fishing activities. On the other hand, some countries like Germany and some northern countries are opposed to aid for the fleet. The Commission is open to some aid for modernisation (for safety purposes) but is opposed to continuing aid for scrapping boats which, in the Commission's opinion, has proved costly and inefficient.
North-East Atlantic mackerel. The Commission will supply the Council with information on the difficult negotiations with Iceland and the Faroe Islands on management of the North-East Atlantic mackerel stock (see EUROPE 10681). Several member states (Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal) will again criticise the total allowable catches (TACs) that are too high and have been fixed unilaterally by Iceland and the Faroe Islands over recent years. They ask for sanctions to be taken with regard to these two countries, in accordance with a new instrument which has just been adopted on trade measures against third countries that overfish.
Mauritania. At the request of the Spanish delegation, the Commission will inform ministers about the protocol on the EU-Mauritania partnership in fisheries, which was initialled in July (see EUROPE 10682). Spain criticises this new agreement and wants to ask the Council and the European Parliament not to ratify the agreement initialled by the Commission in the name of the EU. (LC/transl.fl)