Brussels, 13/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Meetings are continuing in Brussels and several EU member state capitals on ways of helping struggling fishermen survive the high oil prices. Directors of fisheries from the fishing ministries of the four EU member states most in favour of helping the fishing industry, namely France, Spain, Italy and Portugal, have met several times this week to put the finishing touches to joint plans to be submitted to the European Commission in the next few days, ahead of discussion at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Luxembourg on 23 June (see EUROPE 9678).
At a meeting with a handful of journalists in Paris on Thursday 12 June 2008, French Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Michel Barnier said the four member states in question (which, we understand, may be joined by others like Greece and Malta) will be suggesting a three-pronged approach: raising the 'de minimis' aid ceiling from the current level of €30,000 per company over three years (de minimis aid is state aid which does not have to be notified to the European Commission and is therefore not examined by the Commission); setting up a special intervention fund (the details have yet to be decided) to help cover diesel prices and ensure a more updated management of quotas; and authorising the funding of new ships which are better suited to current constraints. Noting that it was essential that the fishing industry was adapted to match life after oil, Barnier said a special fund should be set up with EU funding to help fishermen, for whom diesel accounts for half of running costs, according to AFP.
Managers of the Europeche organisation (the Association of National Organisations of Fishing Enterprises in the EU), the fisheries section of COGECA (General Committee of Agricultural Cooperatives in the EU) and EAPO (European Association of Fish Producers) met with officials from the department of EU Maritime Affairs Commissioner Joe Borg in Brussels on Thursday 12 June 2008 to discuss support measures for fishing companies (see EUROPE 9671 on these organisations' demands). The European Commission is reported to have repeated its opposition to any direct aid to compensate for high diesel prices, arguing that it preferred company restructuring. Discussion is continuing on how to make better use of the European Fisheries Fund 2007-2013 to fund targeted measures.
The European Parliament will hold a short debate on Wednesday 18 June 2008 on the current fisheries crisis. The EP's Fisheries Committee will be asking the Council and Commission what measures they are planning to take to remedy the situation. (L.C./transl.fl)