On Wednesday 9 April, the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries strengthened certain provisions of the proposal on measures to prevent the overexploitation of fish stocks in third countries by unanimously adopting the draft report by Thomas Bajada (S&D, Maltese) on this issue.
MEPs adopted three compromise amendments confirming the procedures for identifying countries that allow non-sustainable fishing and clarifying the behaviour that defines a non-EU country as ‘failing to cooperate’. These include the adoption of “unjustified unilateral measures or quotas which are not in line with the measures or quotas agreed bilaterally or multilaterally” and a “lack of transparency in the consultations” with other coastal states or parties, including within regional fisheries organisations.
A country that applies discriminatory measures against the fleets of other countries, while exempting its own, leading to overfishing, would also be considered as failing to cooperate.
The regulation’s amendments also detail the procedures that the European Commission must follow before and after taking action against a third country considered as allowing non-sustainable fishing. These measures could include imposing import bans on certain fish.
The mandate to negotiate with the EU Council will be confirmed at one of the European Parliament’s next plenary sessions. The Council agreed its mandate in December 2024 (see EUROPE 13543/6).
Link to the compromise amendments: https://aeur.eu/f/gcm (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)