Brussels, 17/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - At a meting in Venice (Italy) on Tuesday 17 June, the Fisheries ministers of six EU member states (Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Portugal and Malta) finalised a joint document on measures to be taken to help fishermen at this time of fuel crisis. The current president of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Slovenian Minister Iztok Jarc also took part in the meeting, but did not sign the joint document. It was signed, however, by Italian minister, Luca Zaia, who hosted the meeting, Michel Barnier (the French minister), Jaime Silva (the Portuguese minister), Elena Espinosa Mangana (the Spanish minister), Christos Avgoulas (Secretary General at the Greek Ministry) and Antony Gruppetta (Secretary General at the Maltese Ministry).
Given the economic and social difficulties being faced by the sector, the member states concerned want this document to draw the attention of their European partners, the European Commission and the European Parliament “to changes that have to be made to Common Fisheries Policy rulers,” the French Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry says in a press release.
The measures proposed, which will be formally put to the Agriculture-Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 23-24 June cover four areas: - emergency and accompanying social measures; - structural measures; - economic aid; - and market organisation and marketing of fisheries products.
The cost of the fuel bought by fishermen has risen by 240% in the EU since 2004, say the six countries in their document. They call for an increase in the funding available to the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), which has a total budget of €3.8 billion (2007-2013).
Resources available do not correspond to the serious nature of the crisis or to the demands of the sector, the document states. Signatories also call for: - financial participation from the EFF for urgent measures of a social kind taken by the various member states; - a “significant” increase in the percentage of EFF funding to compensate fishermen should their activities come to a temporary halt (this percentage is currently 6%); - review of the policy for restructuring the Community fleet, in order to promote measures to reduce energy consumption; - and review of rules on public aid to the fishing fleet to be able to support the building of safer and less energy-consuming vessels.
The fisheries ministers of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Malta also recommend authorising the launching, in member states, of instruments allowing diesel fuel prices bought by fisheries to be stabilised. They also want to increase the ceiling of so-called de minimis subsidies (aid which, within this limit, must not be notified to the European Commission). At the present time, the limit is €30,000 per enterprise for three years. Italian and French ministers hope to increase the ceiling to €100,000. (L.C./transl.jl)