Brussels 30/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 30 November, the European Commission adopted a proposal to extend until 2013 the aid scheme that would otherwise expire at the end of this year for additional costs incurred in marketing certain fishery products from remote EU regions. The new aid scheme will provide the same level of funding as the current system but will be more efficient and targeted.
The new proposal does not alter the fundamentals of the old scheme, providing aid to fishery companies and fish farms in remote regions of the EU to cover the extra cost of transporting their fisheries products to the EU mainland for sale. The Commission suggests a maximum budget of EUR 15 million a year for the period 2007 to 2013. The regions covered are Portuguese islands (EUR 4.28 mil for the Azores and Madeira), Spanish islands (EUR 5.84 mil for the Canary Islands) and French overseas territories (EUR 4.86 mil for La Réunion and French Guiana). From 2003 to 2006, the EU budget provided EUR 60 million for the aid scheme, or an average of EUR 14.99 mil a year in commitment credits.
The Commission suggests revising various aspects of the current system to allow more flexibility for Member States to define for each region which products are eligible for compensation, and the level of premiums applicable; to alter the definition of general eligibility criteria for products, in particular to ensure that all the products receiving support under the scheme comply with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (to preserve and manage fish resources and ensure product traceability); and a refocusing on the compensation of transport costs between the regions and the European mainland, so as to harmonise support levels (which vary widely at present).
The aid will cover prawns from French Guyana (around 3000 tonnes a year), tuna, swordfish and shark from La Réunion, tuna and bonito and fish farmed products from the Canary Islands, various species of fish from the Azores (including deep sea fish and small pelagic fish like anchovy) and black scabbardfish, tuna and fish farmed products from Madeira. The aid scheme is line with the European Treaty and the European Commission's pledge to help remote regions deal with the specific problems they face (lagging behind the mainland in terms of economic development). The first aid scheme was established in 1992 for the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands. It was gradually extended to French overseas territories. The current scheme came into force in 2003 and will expire on 31 December 2006. (lc)