EU aid for the temporary cessation of fishing activities is not the right tool to deal with the geopolitical crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine started by Russia, the European Commission said on Wednesday 11 May.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries debated the effects of the war on the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It generally welcomed the crisis support measures presented (see EUROPE 12932/8, 12919/10).
The European Commission stressed that “what we want is to maintain the supply chain. Stopping the fleet would only add to the disruption that exists in the market. This would be negative for fishermen, processors and consumers and would result in increased imports”. These temporary cessation aid measures were useful during the Covid-19 crisis.
Therefore, with some exceptions (when fisheries activities are unsafe due to the war), the compensation measures proposed are for additional operational costs and loss of income to maintain the supply chain.
Three different measures are proposed (crisis measures, State aid and the European Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2014-2020). EU countries can provide this aid immediately, the Commission said.
Pierre Karleskind (Renew Europe, France), Chair of this committee, called for an increase to the ceiling for ‘de minimis’ aid. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)