On Monday 16 December, the EU Council of Ministers agreed on a general approach in Brussels on a proposal to provide emergency aid to cod fishermen in the Eastern Baltic (see EUROPE 12389/9).
However, the European Commission has indicated that it does not support the compromise text on the table, which has yet to be negotiated with the European Parliament.
The Regulation authorises the payment of aid for ‘permanent cessation’ for fleets fishing for Eastern Baltic cod, Western Baltic cod and Western Baltic herring.
Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius said the proposal was intended to “react to the exceptional crisis situation” in the cod sector in the Eastern Baltic. But the compromise text “deviates substantially from the proposal and does not achieve the original objective”, the Commissioner said. Indeed, “fleet segments are no longer defined, which means that capacity reduction can no longer be guaranteed”, criticised Virginijus Sinkevičius. Nor is it guaranteed that the capacity reduction of these segments will be definitive, he also regretted.
The scope of the proposal extends to cod and herring in the Western Baltic “without justifying the urgency”, the Commissioner protested. He criticised the removal of some control measures to avoid discards.
The reallocation of funds from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is extended to support for permanent cessation of activities, the Commissioner criticised. “We cannot endorse the Finnish Presidency’s compromise text”, concluded Mr Sinkevičius.
In a quick round table discussion, Germany, Poland, Denmark and the Baltic States supported the compromise text on the table. Sweden has protested this aid. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)