The European Commissioner-designate for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, intends to build on the strengths of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) during his mandate, if his appointment is confirmed by MEPs, while remedying its “shortcomings”. The aim, he says, is to ensure that the CFP is “adapted in today’s context and equipped to meet the sector’s emerging challenges”.
This is one of the key points to emerge from his written answers to MEPs ahead of his hearing on Wednesday 6 November. His answers clearly show all the skills acquired by this biologist by training, who has been a minister several times in the Cypriot government (see EUROPE 13486/13).
A former Minister of Agriculture in Cyprus, Costas Kadis’ tasks will include evaluating the CFP in consultation with interested parties and organising “fisheries and oceans dialogues”. The outgoing Commissioner, who also had the environment in his portfolio, had been criticised for sometimes acting without consulting fishers, notably on the issue of ending deep-sea trawling. Costas Kadis stressed the importance of paying equal attention to the environmental and socio-economic dimensions of the Common Fisheries Policy.
The issue of compulsory landings (a ban on discarding fish at sea) is part of the evaluation of the CFP, says Mr Kadis.
Social dimension. Given that around 80% of the EU fleet is made up of small-scale fishers, the CFP review will be an opportunity, according to the Commissioner-designate (EPP-affiliated), to find ways of giving more support to this sector of the fleet. In his view, the social aspect of fishing needs to be better taken into account. He intends to insist on the implementation of the International Convention on Training and Certification of Fishers and on the improvement of safety conditions. He is in favour of new support measures for small-scale fishers, training, improved safety, healthy stocks and the digital environment, in order to attract more young people into the fishing industry.
Multiannual quotas. On the subject of Total Allowable Catches (TACs), he intends to ask the relevant scientific bodies to provide advice that would enable the Commission to propose additional fishing quotas for two years or more, starting with stocks managed solely by the EU.
The Cypriot was also responsible for implementing the Common Fisheries Policy in Cyprus and drawing up the operational plan for the marine environment, fisheries and aquaculture for the period 2021-2027.
Oceans. Costas Kadis will present a comprehensive approach to stimulating the blue economy and ensuring good governance and the health of the oceans, as part of the ‘European Oceans Pact’, which will provide a single strategic reference framework for all policies relating to the oceans (nature protection, renewable energy at sea, maritime spatial planning, etc.). He intends to assess the feasibility of “European blue carbon reserves” and to continue efforts to facilitate the energy transition in the fisheries sector.
His responses: https://aeur.eu/f/e0l (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)