Brussels, 13/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - This Wednesday, the European Commission is to adopt a proposed regulation by Commission Franz Fischler on financial aid and the intervention rules of the structural instrument for fishing (FIFG) for the period 2007 to 2013. Among the new measures included in the proposal are local strategies to develop coastal fishing areas and implement aqua-environmental measures to promote organic aquaculture and more ecological forms of fish-farming by improving genetic diversity. The Commission also intends to increase incentives to involvement in boat-scrapping programmes, designed to reduce fishing capacity in order to protect fish stocks.
The new "European fisheries fund" would also bring together the four regulations in existence since 1999 in one instrument (provisions under the structural funds, the creation of the FIFG, FIFG intervention modalities and procedures for the transmission of data by the Member States).
The decisions of December 2002 on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) have been confirmed: abolition of aid to fleet renewal and to transfer of ships to third countries (as of 1 January 2005); -authorisation of premiums to modernise ships for reasons of security, working conditions and equipment (satellite navigation system); -participation in boat-scrapping programmes.
Reduction of fishing capacity: in order to encourage the restructuring of the sector, the Commission proposes an increase of Community co-funding rates for aid to "boat scrapping", and to involve this aid more directly in social measures (early retirement, diversification of activities and training for new opportunities). The rules to calculate aid to scrapping boats will be simplified. In the future, the Member States will set the limits, depending on a number of criteria (value of vessel on the national market or its insurance value, turnover, age and tonnage of vessel). Furthermore, there will no longer be an age limit favouring younger people (today 35 years), but it will not be possible to use the money to buy another boat.
Coastal areas: The Commission has provided a programme of aid to ensure the sustainable development of coastal fishing areas. The objective is to create jobs, accompany reconversion and improve the standard of living in regions particularly badly hit by measures to limit fishing effort (plans to replenish stocks threatened with extinction and emergency measures). The Member States will be able to consult a list of criteria allowing them to determine zones (coastal and lacustrine) eligible for aid: - low-density areas (maximum 100,000 inhabitants); -intervention limited to territorial and local collectivities; -areas where fishing activities are in decline. This intervention takes its inspiration from the Community interregional co-operation initiative "Pesca", which came into being several years ago. This time, however, the Commission is putting forward a more ambitious strategy to be implemented at local, rather than national (as with Pesca), level.
Aqua-environmental measures: the Commission proposes the creation of these measures, but leaves it up to the Member States to set the levels of incentives. The Directorate General for Fisheries of the Commission makes the point that it has no experience in this field, unlike DG Agriculture which has long been setting sums for agri-environmental measures.
Budget: The Commission proposes that this fund be given a total envelope of 4.96 billion EUR over seven years for a European enlarged to 27 members, corresponding approximately to the sums allocated for the Europe of 15 in the period 2000-2006 (3.7 billion EUR). 75% of this 4.96 billion EUR will go to Objective 1 (with a GDP below 75% of Community average) and to regions hit by the "statistical effects" of enlargement.