Brussels, 18/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Council of Ministers of the EU, meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday 23 October, will seek to adopt a partial general approach on the proposal for a regulation on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), for the period 2014-2020. Also, EU fisheries ministers hope, on Monday 22 October, to reach a political agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for the Baltic Sea in 2013. On Tuesday, they will exchange views on the annual consultation exercise between the EU and Norway and on the next annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), in November.
The Council hopes to adopt a partial general approach on the proposal for a regulation on the EMFF, which is to replace the existing European fisheries fund. Many states gave their stance on this during the last Council for continuing aid for the modernisation of fishing vessels, and several countries recommended that public aid be kept in place for the decommissioning of vessels.
France, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium, Greece, Malta and the Baltic States hope to reintroduce aid for upgrading fishing vessels, including engine replacement, but without increasing fishing capacity. Such aid, they say, is necessary for bringing in the progressive ban on discards and for having less energy-consuming engines. Slovenia and Belgium have even called for aid for the construction of new vessels. The United Kingdom recommended there should be a certain amount of flexibility for aid to the modernisation of ships, especially when it is a matter of renewing engines - as long as the benefits in terms of the environment and security can be proven. On the other side, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands are hostile to reintroducing aid for the modernisation of fishing vessels and for the renewal of engines. They consider the mission of the EMFF is mainly to contribute to the sustainability of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, innovation with more selective engines, and data control.
France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Romania and Bulgaria in particular consider the gradual erosion of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) means it is necessary to reduce capacity for certain fisheries where there is over-capacity. Hence the need, they say, to maintain decommissioning subsidies and subsidies for temporary cessation of activity. Estonia is in favour of decommissioning aid, but opposed to support for temporary cessation of activity. Italy takes the view that decommissioning aid should be clearly regulated. The United Kingdom showed a certain amount of flexibility on decommissioning aid and on temporary cessation of activity, while noting that such aid had proven ineffective. Germany, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark are against public aid to decommissioning. Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, the Netherlands and Belgium are against the reintroduction of aid for temporary cessation.
Fishing possibilities in the Baltic Sea for 2013. Ministers are expected, without difficulty, to reach a political agreement on fishing opportunities applicable to certain fish stocks in the Baltic Sea in 2013 (see EUROPE 10672 on the proposal). On 17 August, the Commission adopted its proposals with catch increases for sprat, plaice and some herring stocks (e.g. +9% for central herring). The Commission is counting on decreases in catch levels for cod and salmon (-11% in the main basin).
Discussions at technical level have shown that: - Poland and Estonia are calling for a multi-species cod and pelagic species management plan; - Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland recommend the MSY being reached in 2015 when possible and by 2020 at the latest, and only Sweden called for the latest date to be 2015; - the Commission suggests a 7% decrease for herring from the Gulf of Bothnia (to 99,100 tonnes), but Denmark, Finland and Estonia consider that the TAC could be a little larger (they are requesting a lower decrease); - the Commission authorises a 9% increase of the TAC for central herring, to 85,155 tonnes, but Estonia, Finland, Poland and Denmark believe the rise could be more sizeable; - a 10% decrease is proposed for the herring stock in the Gulf of Riga (to 27,640 tonnes), but several countries (Estonia, Finland, Lithuania) call for the current TAC to be kept in place; - decreases proposed for cod are generally accepted but Germany and Latvia have questioned the effectiveness of the fishing-related measures in the Baltic cod plan; - and Latvia is concerned about the proposed decreases in salmon catches.
Norway and ICCAT. The Council will hold an exchange of views on the annual consultations scheduled between the EU and Norway as part of their bilateral fisheries agreement. The first round of consultation will unfold in Brussels from 19 to 23 November, while the second round will take place in Norway from 3 to 7 December. This year, consultation will be on the following key issues: - detailed management arrangements for jointly managed fish stocks (cod, haddock, plaice, whiting, herring and saithe); - agreement on exchanges of reciprocal fishing possibilities (including fishing possibilities for Arctic cod in Norwegian waters); - and cooperation with Norway as regards the mackerel management issue in the framework of negotiations with the other two coastal states, Iceland and the Faroe Islands (the mackerel war).
Finally, ministers will discuss the next ICCAT meeting to be held from 12 to 19 November 2012 in Agadir (Morocco). ICCAT is expected to examine the programme for safeguarding stocks of blue fin tuna, in the light of new scientific assessments. (LC/transl.jl)