On Monday 28 June in Luxembourg, the Fisheries Ministers of the European Union reached without difficulty an agreement on the revision of the Regulation on fisheries control.
Negotiations with the European Parliament for a final agreement on this text will start in July under the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council.
After a short debate, the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council found that the general approach on a compromise text could be adopted.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for Fisheries, regretted the content of the compromise on the electronic logbook. “We are going backwards” on this issue, he lamented.
The Presidency’s compromise foresees that small vessels will be subject to obligations regarding the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and electronic communication tools, such as the electronic fishing logbook. However, at the request of several delegations, the compromise envisages some simplifications for vessels of less than 12 metres as regards the use of VMS and electronic communication tools, as well as an exemption for certain vessels of less than nine metres, but subject to strict conditions.
Margin of tolerance. The Commission also criticised the EU Council’s provisions on the margin of tolerance in the fishing logbook.
The general rule in the EU Council text is that, when compared with the quantities landed or with the result of an inspection, the permitted margin of tolerance in estimates recorded in the fishing logbook of the quantities in kilograms of fish retained on board shall be 10% per each species.
In addition to introducing an exception for small catches (50 kg and less), the compromise provides for a larger margin of tolerance for certain fisheries (small pelagic and industrial species, similar species and mixed fisheries whose catches are not sorted), in order to address specific difficulties in estimating catch volumes in these fisheries.
CCTV. Rather than focusing on closed circuit television (CCTV) systems, as proposed by the Commission, the Portuguese Presidency compromise introduces remote electronic monitoring (REM) systems, which may consist of various instruments, such as sensors and CCTV, depending on technical developments.
Catch vessels of 24 metres in length or more, which pose a serious risk of non-compliance with the landing obligation, will have to be equipped with REM systems. MEPs set a threshold of 12 metres (see EUROPE 12676/11).
Link to the explanations of the compromise: https://bit.ly/3y7IHSh
Link to the general approach text: https://bit.ly/3x2rglD (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)