Funding for fisheries after 2020 must be ambitious and receive “at least the same budgetary allocation as the current one”, considers Gabriel Mato (EPP, Spain), the European Parliament rapporteur on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2021-2027 (see EUROPE 12039).
Public funding is “more needed than ever to face upcoming challenges such as the landing obligation, the consequences of Brexit, MSY levels by 2020, fleet restructuration”, the draft report states. It will be discussed on Monday 24 September by the EP fisheries committee.
The Commission proposes to reduce funding for the EMFF 2021-2027 by 6% to €6.14 billion. The rapporteur suggests funding should be reset at €6.4 billion (current prices). In addition, he considers the EMFF should provide aid to fleet renewal for non-industrial fishing, if resources allow.
Aid to storage. In order to manage production surpluses, Mato requests that the EMFF continue to support the producer organisations that need a temporary storage mechanism for fishery products intended for human consumption.
The new EMFF will finance measures to cover temporary and definitive cessation of activity (scrapping). The proposal is nonetheless considered over-demanding at the level of the conditions required.
Voting in the European Parliament committee may be held at the end of November. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)