On Monday 22 September in Brussels, a majority of EU fisheries ministers criticised the European Commission’s proposals for funding the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) for the period 2028-2034, in particular the guaranteed amount of just €2 billion (see EUROPE 13710/13).
Costas Kadis, European Commissioner for Fisheries, said: “I know you have opinions and criticisms of the Commission’s proposal for the next CFP, but contradictory positions have been expressed”.
The Commissioner assured that the types of action eligible under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) will continue to be eligible for funding under the future National and Regional Partnership Plan (NRPP).
In addition, the €2 billion set aside represents a “minimum allocation”, he said, intended in particular to support fishing and aquaculture, conserve stocks and compensate operators in case of need. These actions will form an integral part of the NRPP, added Mr Kadis.
The funding pool amounts to €11.5 billion, summarised Mr Kadis. Beyond the NRPP, additional funds will be available through the European Competitiveness Fund (€451 billion) and the Global Europe Instrument (€200 billion available).
The new CFP will be able to guarantee solid financial support for EU fisheries and aquaculture, coastal communities, the blue economy, the conservation of living marine resources and policies linked to the oceans, “with the potential, and I repeat, to go significantly beyond the amounts available for the period 2021-2027”, promised the Commissioner.
Additional investment could cover areas such as the implementation of the CFP, data collection, fisheries control, generational renewal, small-scale coastal fishing, the conservation of living marine resources, the restoration of biodiversity, as well as the environmental, economic and social sustainability of operators, innovation in fisheries and aquaculture and the resilience of coastal communities, explained Mr Kadis.
The debates in the EU Council were strongly criticised by Spain, Poland, Portugal, France, Italy, Malta, Belgium and Latvia. Portugal denounced a “reckless and disruptive” model and unacceptable changes in funding, pointing out that the current CFP provides for €6.1 billion. Luis Planas, the Spanish minister, said he was “very surprised” at the lack of vision, clarity and budgetary ambition in the proposal. He warned that the CFP was in danger of disappearing, as it was being transformed from a genuine common policy into a simple budget programme. Poland criticised a 70% cut in guaranteed funding for fisheries. Fishermen should get more, not less, according to this country.
France called for robust support for the fisheries sector, with funds earmarked for fleet modernisation and decarbonisation. The French delegation also defended maintaining the CFP as a common policy with a separate budget, and criticised the minimum amount of €2 billion as surprising and insufficient.
According to the Italian minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, the reduction from €6 billion to €2 billion is “inappropriate” given the current financial uncertainties.
Conversely, the ministers most in favour of the model proposed by the Commission are those from Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland. These countries welcomed the desire to rationalise and simplify, to reduce overlap, and called for a more modern and flexible CFP. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)