Brussels, 26/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Fisheries Council on 27 November in Brussels will be chaired by the Belgian Minister, Annemie Neyts, and will aim to adopt the European Commission's controversial proposals to extend the fourth Multi-annual Guidance Programme (MAGP) by one year. The European Ministers are highly likely to adopt two proposals concerning the failure to renew the Fisheries Agreement with Morocco, namely the programme to convert Spanish and Portuguese ships and retrain the fishermen; and the decision on the new Protocol signed by the EU with Mauritania to provide EU vessels with additional fishing options.
- Fishing fleet policy. The Belgian Presidency hopes that the Fisheries Council will achieve qualified majority agreement over the extension of MAGP IV (that aims to cut scale back EU fishing) until December 2002. The discussions that recently took place within the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) do not augur well (see EUROPE of 11 October, p.11). Seven Member States (France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Greece) will only agree to the MAGP being extended in its current form, opposing the Commission's plans to beef up the targets and the measures incorporated in the FIFG (Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance) governing the criteria for state aid. In an attempt to get the discussions going, the Belgian Presidency has prepared a compromise text maintaining some of the targets from the initial proposal (like the linear reduction in fishing activity) and restoring some of the derogations to the increase in capacity and criteria for state aid, that the Commission wanted to scrap. The only countries supporting the compromise are Belgium, Sweden and Finland since the seven countries that favour keeping the MAGP unchanged all reject it, and the Commission (with the support of Germany) is refusing to countenance amendments for its proposal. The UK and Denmark are somewhere between the two since they want the criteria for state aid to be tightened up, in line with the Commission's wishes. Should the Council not manage to thrash out an agreement, a legal void will be created that would mean halting the granting of aid as from the end of 2001 onwards.
- Converting fishing fleets. The Ministers are expected to adopt the Commission's proposals aiming to grant exceptional conversion and support measures for Spanish and Portuguese fishing fleets and fishermen, especially since the Budget Council has already decided on the budget and the details of how it should be paid out (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.6). In COREPER, however, countries like Denmark and the Netherlands expressed concern about the future of the converted ships, and wanted Spain and Portugal to commit themselves (in the form of a declaration) to ensuring that their fishermen fish in third countries' waters rather than in the highly desirable Community fishing grounds. Germany is expected to call for more aid to be granted to putting ships out of service. Spain and Portugal will attempt to obtain more all round, particularly on the social side - they will call for a 20% rise in the fixed rate premium for fishermen and a softening of the criteria for aid (6 months out of work, rather than 9).
- EU/Mauritania agreement. The Council is expected to adopt a decision concerning the implementation of the new Fisheries Protocol between the EU and Mauritania covering the period from 1 August 2001 and 31 July 2006 (see EUROPE of 2 August, p.13). This Protocol is the most important agreement signed with a third country since the breakdown of negotiations with Morocco. The Protocol gives Spain authorisation for five of its trawlers, but has not granted Greece its requested licences for 6 new ships or Italy's additional ship.
- Blue whiting stocks. The Council is expected to discuss with the Commission solutions to the international management problem for blue whiting. Following the breakdown of the negotiations with the other parties to the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Convention (Norway, the Faeroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland - see EUROPE of 15 November, p.17), the Commission tried in vain to reach an informal agreement with Norway and the Faeroe Islands on the breakdown of the TACs (Total Allowable Catches) of blue whiting, whose numbers are dwindling drastically. The Commission's idea was to get the latter islands to agree to scale back their catches. Member States are expected to insist that the EU should not have to scale its fishing activities back further (since it already respects the scientific recommendations on cutting the volumes of fish caught) while other countries carry out what one fish experts described as fishing of Olympic proportions.
Commissioner Franz Fischler will present a report in this connection adopted at the end of September into the respect of EU fishing inspections and monitoring legislation by the Member States (see EUROPE of 29 September, p.15). Under the miscellaneous items section, Mr Fischler will inform Ministers of the timetable for the adoption (in 2002) of legislation reforming the CFP, while Spain will list the issues to be covered under its Presidency.
Presentation of the plenary session of the European parliament (28 and 29 November 2001)
