The European Parliament’s fisheries committee is expected to adopt a draft statement on Tuesday 24 April calling on the Commission to reach a fair solution that will allow EU vessels to resume fishing for snow crab (see EUROPE 11919).
Norway is refusing EU vessels access to the snow crab fishery in the waters of the Barents and Svalbard.
According to the draft statement, the Commission’s political and diplomatic efforts thus far have not been strong enough to deliver results. The text also calls on the member states which are signatory to the 1920 Paris Treaty to consider taking further steps, “such as legal actions, against Norway”, to safeguard the rights of the EU fishing fleet.
This issue has been a bone of contention between the EU and Norway since Baltic State vessels were given authorisation (by the EU) in 2016 to fish for snow crab in the Svalbard zone.
Norway is seeking some form of compensatory measure from the EU for it to allow these vessels to continue fishing in the zone. The EU wants to come to a practical arrangement with Norway that would allow the fishing for snow crab to continue without compromising the interpretation of the Paris Treaty whereby Norway has sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago but signatory countries are allowed to engage in economic activities there. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)