On Monday 18 June, EU fisheries ministers meeting in Luxembourg will hold an exchange of views on two important proposals – that on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2021-2027, and that on updating the regulation on fisheries controls.
The EMFF 2021-2027 aims to gear funding from the Union budget to support for the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the Union’s maritime policy, and the Union’s international commitments regarding ocean government (see EUROPE 12040, 12039).
The Committee of Permanent Representatives of EU member states (Coreper) chose, on Friday 15 June, to give ministers the latest reactions with regard to the future EMFF.
The Commission is proposing a budget down by 5% compared with the period 2014-2020: €5.3 billion in shared management (Spain has the lion’s share with €1.1 billion, ahead of France which has €567 million, and Italy with €516 million) and €829 million in direct management.
Fisheries controls. Ministers will also discuss the proposal for a regulation on fisheries controls (see EUROPE 12030). The proposal aims to modernise the fisheries control regime with a view to bringing it into line with developing fishing practices and techniques and to ensure that the CFP is correctly applied.
2019 quotas. Ministers will be briefed on a communication concerning the current situation of the CFP and the fishing possibilities for 2019 (see EUROPE 12038).
Finally, under “miscellaneous”, the Dutch delegation will speak of the 30 May opinion of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which, to summarise, considers that electric pulse trawling has less impact on marine ecosystems than traditional trawling. This opinion is along the lines of the European Commission’s consideration, while the European Parliament on the other hand has taken a stance against authorising electric pulse fishing in the North Sea (see EUROPE 12035, 11940). The trialogue on 19 June on technical measures (including the question of electro-pulse fishing) has been cancelled.
In addition, the European Parliament decided, on Thursday 14 June, to object to a delegated act that particularly aims to authorise electric pulse fishing in the North Sea. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)