The World Trade Organization (WTO) will have to work twice as hard if it wants to reach an agreement on fisheries subsidies before the end of 2019, in line with its Buenos Aires commitments in 2017.
On 17 May in Geneva, several heads of delegation expressed their disappointment at the slow progress and increasingly divergent positions on this issue, despite their agreement in Buenos Aires in 2017 to conduct negotiations to clarify and improve existing WTO disciplines on fisheries subsidies by the end of 2019 (see EUROPE 11926/12).
According to a source close to the discussions, WTO members therefore called for the preparation of a draft agreement on fisheries subsidies before August. This consolidated text should offer negotiators “fewer and clearer” options, reported a source close to the discussions. This document will have to include several proposals concerning the capping of subsidies, the prohibition of fishing in overexploited stocks, subsidies contributing to fleet overcapacity and fuel subsidies.
The EU had called for strict disciplines on the end of state aid that has the effect of increasing fishing capacity.
However, EU Member States are still struggling to agree on subsidies for the fishing fleet. In the context of debates on the post-2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) last 14 May, the differences on the modalities of aid for the renewal or modernisation of the fishing fleet have always been acute (see EUROPE 12254/4).
Two other formal meetings are scheduled in Geneva during, the week of June 10 and of July 8. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel with Lionel Changeur)