Brussels, 23/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's fisheries committee has allowed the proposal on conditions for the payment of financial aid to fishing fleets to be made somewhat more flexible in order to improve the safety and energy efficiency of fishing vessels. The Ioannis Glavakis (EPP-ED, Greece) report on this, adopted on Thursday 22 March in parliamentary committee, will be discussed and voted by the EP during the April plenary session in Strasbourg.
The European Commission's proposal, which dates from 13 October 2006, aims to amend certain provisions of the 2002 regulation applying to fleet capacity management, to take into account the Council's agreement on the new European Fisheries Fund (EFF) for the period 2007-2013 (EUROPE 9286). Adjustment of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) rules is necessary in order to authorise from 2007 public subsidies for changing the engines of fishing vessels and for making the fishing capacity entry-exit scheme more flexible.
Tonnage bank: According to the Council's agreement, taken up in the initial proposal, this “tonnage bank” gives member states the possibility of using up to 4% of the tonnage of vessels withdrawn from the fleet (under the premium for scrapping vessels) for the modernisation of vessels still in activity (safety and hygiene on board). The members of the fisheries committee adopted an amendment that increases this reserve to 10% of tonnage withdrawn with financial support, in particular for improving the competitiveness of coastal fisheries. The rapporteur agrees that this percentage must be granted, as a priority, to small-scale coastal fishing vessels with an overall length of less than 12 metres.
Changing engines: The proposal authorises the payment of public aid for changing the engines of fishing vessels. According to the rules of the new EFF, the new engine must have the same power as the old one, whilst for larger vessels the new engine must have at least 20% less power. The rapporteur was clearly opposed to compulsory 20% reduction of power for vessels of over 12 metres, as it endangers the safety of the vessel and of the crew, while making certain fishing practices practically impossible. The fisheries committee adopted a more cautious amendment specifying: “This reduction in power must not in any circumstances diminish the vessel's safety conditions, habitability or the efficiency of fish-processing systems”. The fisheries committee, however, abolished the obligation to reduce power when the engine is replaced for energy saving reasons and/or for the improvement of the vessel's performance in areas other than fishing capacity, or where the vessel has opted for more selective fishing methods. (lc)