The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) confirmed, on Wednesday 3 March, its support for the compromise text between EU institutions on the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) (see EUROPE 12663/30, 12616/8).
This fund is endowed, for 2021-2027, with €5.31 billion of budgetary resources under shared management (in current prices), including €1.1 billion for Spain, and €797 million under direct and indirect management.
The text has yet to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
The agreement provides in particular that a young fisher must own at least 33% of shares to be eligible to support for partial ownership under the first acquisition of a vessel (instead of the 51% proposed by the European Commission).
On aid for the replacement or modernisation of engines, the agreement is as follows: - the only condition for small-scale coastal vessels (to be eligible for such public aid) is that the new engine does not have more power in kilowatt; - for vessels between 12 and 24 meters, agreement that those vessels should emit 20% less CO2 emissions (compromise between the EU Council’s 15% and the European Parliament’s request for 30%); - physical verification of engines; - the Commission is empowered to adopt implementing acts to identify energy efficiency technologies.
Support in case of temporary cessation (of activities) is possible for a maximum of 12 months.
Aid for aquaculture may be granted through grants or financial instruments.
Storage aid for fishery products will be possible in the event of exceptional events leading to a “significant disruption of the markets”.
Finally, with regard to co-financing rates, a single co-financing rate of 70% is foreseen (instead of the lower rates proposed by the Commission and the European Parliament).
Link to the text of the regulation: http://bit.ly/2O0oGLI (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)