The EU institutions made progress towards a final compromise on the proposal to reform the system of controls in early 2023 at an interinstitutional trilogue negotiating session on Tuesday 22 November.
A tenth trilogue on this matter has enabled progress on certain subjects, such as recreational fishing or the compulsory use of satellite-based vessel monitoring systems (VMS) by fishing vessels.
The Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU has not managed to complete negotiations on this matter, which is being handed over to the Swedish Presidency, which will begin on 1 January 2023 (see EUROPE 13049/8).
An agreement could be reached fairly quickly early next year, although the following two issues remain difficult to resolve:
- the use of on-board cameras to monitor the discard ban: the European Parliament is calling for an obligation for vessels over 12 metres, the Council wants 24 metres, and the compromise on the table, rejected at this stage by the European Parliament, provided for an obligation for vessels over 18 metres (but still with exemptions or derogations); - the margins of tolerance when reporting fish catches.
On recreational fishing, there is agreement in principle on the creation of a register of recreational fishermen, with different rules for reporting catches depending on whether the species are subject to a quota or not.
As for VMS vessels, their installation might be compulsory on all fishing vessels, but with derogations for vessels of less than 9 metres (depending on the gear and the distance from the coast).
A compromise may also have been reached on the protocol for transhipment.
Another important issue for the European Parliament, which remains to be negotiated, is the traceability of fisheries products. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)