During a debate on Wednesday 3 June with European Commissioner for Fisheries Costas Kadis on the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), MEPs advocated reform of this policy’s rules in several areas (see EUROPE 13863/1).
“A revision now appears necessary. Failing a full revision – for which the reasons would have to be clearly explained, were it to be ruled out – a substantial development of the current framework is, at the very least, required”, said Isabelle Le Callennec (EPP, French). She argued for “targeted regulatory changes”. The MEP notably called for measures to support fleet modernisation. “The calculation of vessel capacity – size, tonnage, and power – must be redefined in order to allow the integration of alternative propulsion systems, more selective gear, modern safety equipment, as well as improvements to living and working conditions on board”, she explained. The current framework “penalises the energy transition”, she added. As regards the Union budget, Isabelle Le Callennec argued for preserved funding and the mobilisation of additional funds (Just Transition Fund, REPowerEU, Horizon Europe) to finance research, development, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
For Nicolás González Casares (S&D, Spanish), “it is time to revise the Common Fisheries Policy, and the sooner the better”. In his view, the CFP has not worked as intended. Admittedly, the proportion of stocks exploited at sustainable levels has risen from 50% to 63%, but the negative aspects remain numerous: wage increases have been limited to 7% and employment in the sector has fallen by 20%.
“The obstacles to fleet renewal are such that it is now obsolete, with an average age of over 30 years. A few days before the publication of the evaluation, the Commission itself estimated the cost of decarbonising the fleet at between €10 billion and €25 billion”, Nicolás González Casares stressed. In his view, the current limitations stem from flaws in the design of the CFP and its inability to incorporate new realities. “Yes, there are problems with the landing obligation. Yes, the three dimensions of sustainability need to be rebalanced. Yes, generational renewal must be encouraged. Yes, the approach to fishing capacity must be reviewed if we want safer, more comfortable, and more sustainable vessels. Multiannual plans must also be promoted where possible, and limits on inter-annual variations in TACs and quotas introduced in order to provide predictability for the sector”, he insisted. Regarding trade agreements, he considered that the total liberalisation of customs duties on tuna “seriously harms our canning industry and our coastal communities”.
For his part, Ton Diepeveen (PfE, Dutch), like others, deplored the 68% reduction in the budget devoted to fisheries for the 2028-2034 period, as proposed by the Commission. In his view, the landing obligation “remains unenforceable for many, the administrative burden remains high and the opportunities to invest in safer, more modern, and cleaner vessels remain limited”.
Stephen Nikola Bartulica (ECR, Croatian) said that the Regulation on fisheries in the Mediterranean poses serious problems in the Adriatic Sea, owing to the specific characteristics of the area, notably its shallow waters and highly indented coastline. The landing obligation is also attracting considerable criticism, as are the restrictions linked to invasive species. The situation of small pelagics is also considered very worrying, according to Stephen Nikola Bartulica, with the sardine stock having fallen below the biological reference threshold.
Emma Wiesner (Renew Europe, Swedish) considered that the objectives linked to the landing obligation have not been met and that additional measures are needed to support the sector’s energy transition. She also called on the Commission to present concrete proposals concerning fishing in the Baltic Sea.
For Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, Swedish), environmental sustainability is the indispensable foundation of economic and social sustainability. She pointed out that not all fish stocks have yet been replenished and that fleet overcapacity remains, weighing on the sector’s profitability.
Emma Fourreau (The Left, French), for her part, criticised the imbalance in the distribution of public support, recalling that small-scale fishing (which accounts for 76% of the European fleet and generates two to three times more jobs than industrial fishing) receives only around 20% of subsidies.
Link to the Commissioner’s speech: https://aeur.eu/f/m60 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)