Negotiators from the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the European Commission could continue discussions on 21 June on the text to reform the procedures for controlling fishing activities.
Several trilogues have already taken place in recent months and progress has been made on some issues (weighing of fisheries products), but not on the most controversial ones such as the margins of tolerance on the quantities of fish landed, the modalities for the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) as well as the need to use Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems.
The French Presidency of the EU Council presented a progress report, on Wednesday 1 June, to the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU (Coreper).
The representative of the European Commission is said to have recalled the red lines of the institution, in particular on the modalities of control of the rules on the obligation to land (including the usefulness of cameras on board the vessels).
The Commission would even be ready to withdraw its proposal if these red lines are not respected.
At the next trilogue at the end of June, some negotiators are hoping for progress on the controversial issues of VMS and the use of on-board cameras (CCTV). But nothing is certain, given the differences between the institutions. Five to six interinstitutional technical meetings are reportedly planned to prepare for the trilogue of 21 June.
Concerning the VMS system, the EU Council is said to defend its initial position (simplified system for vessels under 12 metres and exemption for those under 9 metres) (see EUROPE 12750/5).
The European Parliament is more ambitious. It claims that all ships should be equipped with a geolocation tool that allows them to be tracked and identified automatically. The Commission is reportedly willing to contribute to the development of a simplified VMS.
With regard to CCTV, the EU Council’s position provides that vessels over 24 metres must, in case of serious risk of non-compliance with the rules on landing obligations, install on board Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) systems. The European Parliament is advocating for CCTV for ships of 12 metres in length or more that pose a high risk of non-compliance. The Commission does not foresee any limits in the size of the vessels. It refers to a certain percentage of ships to be equipped with CCTV, after a risk assessment.
On the weighing of fishery products after their transport to another EU country, the EU Council has reportedly agreed to take into account the position of the Parliament.
For direct sales, there is a tolerance threshold, currently 30 kg. The European Parliament suggests reducing this threshold to 5 kg, while the EU Council will accept a threshold of 15 kg. There is no compromise at this stage on this point.
Concerning the exemption from the transport document for all journeys of less than 20 km between the point of landing and the sale, the institutions’ positions are divergent.
The EU institutions hope to conclude negotiations on the complex issue of fisheries controls before the end of 2022. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)