Denmark is trying to take the necessary measures to comply with Regulation 1224/2009 on the control of fishing activities and thus avoid an interruption of payments that could be decided by the European Commission (see EUROPE 12180/32).
The Commission considers that Denmark fails to ensure that all fishery products are weighed at the time of landing and that the quantities of each species, including industrial bycatches, are recorded in catch registration documents.
Interruption of payments? In April 2019, the European Commission notified Denmark that two open cases pertaining to the EU Control regulation (EU Pilot on the EU point system) and a letter of formal notice on rules concerning weighing, sampling and registration of unsorted landings concerns non-compliance by Member States with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) rules which could lead to an interruption of EU support.
Denmark acknowledged the weaknesses in its control system and, in May 2019, asked the Commission to waive the planned interruption of payments in favour of: - measures already taken to remedy the situation; - the implementation of an action plan providing for additional measures with specific deadlines; - the ongoing constructive dialogue with the Commission.
New systems. For example, Denmark has already implemented a revised model for the application of the EU point system, and is under way establishing a new model for the weighing, sampling and registration of unsorted landings in order to ensure compliance with the obligations under the EU Control Regulation. However, sources indicate that the new model (which will replace a system in place since 1996) is challenging, as some of the requirements are considered unfeasible when it comes to unsorted landings. Therefore, Denmark still supports an amendment of certain control provisions of Regulation 1224/2009.
At the end of May 2018, the Commission presented a proposal to strengthen controls in fishing activities (see EUROPE 12030/13). The EU Council and the European Parliament have not yet adopted their position on this complex issue. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)