Brussels, 06/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has toughened up some points in the proposal for a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In Brussels on Thursday 5 June, it adopted the report by Marie-Hélène Aubert (Greens/EFA, France) by a huge majority, 624 votes to 12, with 8 abstentions, clarifying and strengthening certain arrangements on the list of vessels fishing illegally, inspections to be carried out and sanctions to be imposed on offenders. The European Fisheries Council of Ministers will try to reach agreement on this text at its meeting in Luxembourg on 23-24 June.
The changes brought by the Parliament are inter alia: - the European Commission is to inform the flag state of the inclusion of a vessel on the Community list of vessels fishing illegally and provide detailed reasons for this inclusion; - when a vessel belonging to a ship owner is included on the Community IUU list, a detailed inspection of all the vessels he/she owns should be carried out; - the Commission is to publish the Community IUU list in the Official Journal of the EU; - member states are to refuse to allow the export of a vessel flying their flag that is on the IUU list and may not under any circumstances grant support or subsidies to IUU vessels.
As a result of Parliamentary amendments, member states must carry out inspections in their ports of at least 50% of landings, transhipments and on-board processing operations by third country vessels every year (the Commission proposal is “at least 15%”).
Natural persons committing a serious infringement or legal persons found responsible for such an infringement will be subject to effective, proportionate and dissuasive administrative sanctions with the heaviest fines being at least €300,000 for natural persons and €500,000 for legal persons, the EP says (very close to the initial proposal). The EP adds that member states may opt for penal sanctions “provided that the amount of such sanctions is at least equivalent to that of the administrative sanctions”.
Sanctions should be accompanied by other measures, the EP says, citing: - a temporary ban for at least the duration of the programming period, a permanent ban on access to public aid or subsidies, and the repayment of public aid or subsidies received by IUU vessels during the relevant financial period.
The Commission is called on to publish an analysis, within three months of the regulation's coming into effect, of its probable impact on developing countries and to bring forward a proposal for the funding of specific programmes.
During the previous day's debate, Aubert said that the Commission proposal took on board the main points of the EP recommendations: black lists of vessels found guilty of illegal activities and publication of the lists, enhanced control measures in port states, compulsory catch certification for flag states (and, thus, a ban on imports into the EU market of products from illegal fishing), stiffer, harmonised penalties and an alert system. “There is not much missing from this proposal,” she said.
She said that three points caused intense debate in the Council of Ministers, and this included the scope. She was pleased that the scope initially proposed by the Commission had been maintained (for both Community and third country vessels). In addition, some member states found the catch certification scheme too complex and are keenly discussing the level and the type of sanctions. These issues were also discussed within the EP fishing committee, but the amendments had, “I believe”, clarified the text while maintaining its level of ambition and the main objectives of the new regulation. Combating illegal fishing was only one part of a broader policy which includes the control regulation and the regulation on serious infringements. “The very least that one can say is that this did not help make the debate any clearer,” Aubert said. The EP is awaiting information on how the three regulations are to articulate. It is counting on the determination of European Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg to put a swift end to illegal fishing, which is having a particular impact on bluefin tuna and cod, much sought after, and widely over-fished, species at the moment.
“The Commission can agree with nearly all the amendments proposed” by the EP said Borg. “I am extremely happy that the report supports, in particular, the implementation of the regulation to all vessels, its catch certification scheme and the harmonisation of sanctions,” he stated. (L.C./transl. rt)