On 25 February, the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries called for Ocean Diplomacy to be integrated into the EU’s external action, in particular development policies and the Common Foreign and Security Policy, in order to defend a rules-based maritime order.
In adopting (18 votes in favour, 4 against and 4 abstentions) the report by MEP Željana Zovko (EPP, Croatian) on Ocean Diplomacy, the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries stressed that closer cooperation between Member States and European agencies (in particular the European Maritime Safety Agency, Frontex, the European Fisheries Control Agency, the European Environment Agency and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme) “would help to ensure the sustainable exploitation of marine resources, promote EU environmental, economic and social standards, particularly in international organisations”, and combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing through stricter controls on imports of fisheries products.
MEPs stress the importance of combating ‘shadow fleets’, piracy, acts of intimidation and hostile or violent acts from third countries, to the detriment of EU fishers and European maritime infrastructures.
MEPs are also in favour of the creation of a European deep-sea observatory in the Atlantic, connected to a global network of observatories that share data.
To make marine protected areas more effective, MEPs say that full impact assessments and stakeholder consultations should be carried out before they are designated.
MEPs also believe that modern, safe and digitalised vessels, as well as better training, will contribute to the generational renewal of fishermen and make the profession more attractive.
They advocate strengthening customs control powers and making full use of the new EU Customs Authority.
Finally, MEPs expressed their concern at the proposal for the EU’s next multiannual budget, which provides only €2 billion for fisheries and aquaculture over the period 2028-2034, compared to €6 billion in the current multiannual budget.
Link to the compromise amendments: https://aeur.eu/f/kyp (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)