Today, the European Parliament, in a coordinated effort with the Council of the EU, swiftly adopted a modification of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF 2014-2022) to alleviate the consequences of the military aggression of Russia against Ukraine on fishing activities. Europêche welcomes the swift adoption of this legislative proposal, steered by the rapporteur Nuno Melo (EPP, PT), which will allow the use of additional crisis measures to support fishermen. Particularly, EU funding will be made available to compensate for additional costs, income forgone and the storage of seafood, as well as for the temporary cessation of fishing activities. As for the latter measure, thanks to the European Parliament, aid will be extended for companies that temporarily cannot continue fishing due to economic constrains. The sector now calls on all EU Member States to activate these measures as a matter of urgency.

Three months ago, the European Commission presented its proposal, putting forward the necessary legislative modifications to allow Member States more flexibility to reallocate funds under the (EMFF) to specific measures mitigating the socio-economic impact of the crisis. Both the Council and the Parliament also modified EMFF-provisions to allow aid for those fleets forced to stay in the port due to the financial constraints. For many ship-owners, going out at sea, means losing money.

According to Europêche, the situation is critical in many fishing ports in Europe. Sky-rocketing energy prices are preventing numerous fishing companies from breaking even. The situation is expected not to improve over the next few months, if anything, quite the opposite. EU estimates show that if fuel prices will continue at this level, the EU-27 fishing fleet would have losses of € 300 million in the operating profit, risking the sustainability of the fleet.

Daniel Voces, managing director or Europêche, declared: “The financial package will certainly help bringing relief and stability to fishermen and the markets. The goal is no doubt to adopt all necessary measures to secure fish operations and the supply of seafood to the market. The EU fleet, as food producers, has taken the responsibility to continue fishing during the different crisis and pandemic periods”. 

EU governments are reacting differently to the situation and adopting measures at a different pace and extent. Fishermen in many EU countries are not receiving funding in time, or in sufficient quantity, to compensate for the huge price increases. It is now fundamental that the Commission pushes national authorities to quickly put in place these measures as a matter of urgency and to use state aid tools to mitigate the consequences of the crisis.

Furthermore, the European Commission should carry out an analysis of the cumulative effect of the war not only on rising energy prices but also on new legislation such as ‘Fit for 55’, which risk having dire consequences on EU businesses to pay their energy bills and to continue providing seafood.

Press contacts: 

Rosalie Tukker, Senior Policy Advisor, Europêche +32 2 230 48 48 rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

EP Press Release – EMFF aid package Ukraine

The European Commission recently published a legislative package for state aid measures and financial compensation under the new Fisheries Fund (EMFAF) to support the fishing sector following the aggression against Ukraine by Russia. The EU fishing industry has thanked Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, for the quick call for a second meeting to take stock on the measures adopted. At the meeting, the sector represented by Europêche and EAPO, agreed with the Commissioner on the need for speedy and flexible implementation of the provisions in the Member States as well as for the approval of some additional measures under the current Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

The EU fishing industry has appreciated the quick action from the Commission adopting emergency measures to try to mitigate the adverse effects of those who are being directly threatened by the energy crisis and to calm the tension in our fish markets.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “The sector certainly welcomes the European Commission’s rapid action to unlock funding so that Member States can provide as a matter of urgency financial aid to our fishermen. Given the fact that governments are reacting differently to the situation and adopting measures at a different pace and extent, it is now fundamental that the Commission pushes national authorities to quickly put in place these authorised measures and reduce red tape to guarantee a level playing field. Equally important is to produce as soon as possible a guidance document for Member States to better understand whether different aid schemes can be cumulated. Certainly our fishers need all the support they can get”.

The sector recalled that the priority for fishers is to continue fishing, supplying seafood and maintain the employment. However, under these exceptional circumstances, even with the financial aid, some companies will not be able to fish. It is therefore important to help fishers who have to temporarily cease their activities, given the fact that in many cases aid will only arrive months later. The industry argued that this also reinforces the point that the ceiling for state aid per fishing vessel under the temporary framework should be raised, since this type of support can reach companies in a matter of weeks.

Esben Sverdrup-Jensen, President of EAPO, concluded: “Fishing vessels have been in port for a long time and the fish seasons for certain species will be over soon, for instance blue whiting. To tackle the situation we need to provide fishers the option to carry over more than the existing 10% of their fishing quotas to next year. After all this is a key free-of-charge measure that was already put in place back in 2015 with the Russian invasion to Crimea. This will secure employment and income. We need to prepare for every future scenario”. He continued: “We welcome the Commission’s commitment to analyse the situation on a case-by-case basis based on quota consumption. We support the request of an ICES advice for the affected fish stocks to analyse the feasibility of quota banking. It is in everybody’s interest to secure the sustainability of the fish populations”.

The sector also appreciated Commissioner Sinkevicius’ announcement that his services are working on the amendment of the current EMFF (2014-2020) to fully utilize the fund and to unlock the remaining unused 1 billion Euros to help the sector.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  daniel.voces@europeche.org

Emiel Brouckaert, Secretary General of EAPO: +32 59 43 20 05  info@eapo.com

EP and EAPO Press Release – State Aid

The Council has reached today a political agreement with the European Parliament on a new EMFAF regulation to provide a simplified fund for fishermen with the aim to modernise the fleet, support data collection and efficient control and strengthen international ocean governance. Despite the push from the European Parliament to top up the original budget proposal[1] by 614 million (10% increase), and the Commission’s additional funding proposal of €500 million to help the sector recover from the impact of Covid-19 (8% increase), EU governments decided already in July a cut of € 32 million, resulting in a financial envelop of € 6.108 billion.

Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, declared: “Now more than ever the support from the EU is fundamental not only to face external challenges such as the Covid-19 or Brexit but also to implement ambitious policies such as the EU Green Deal. With such a difficult scenario and ambitious policies on the horizon, the sector would have expected a higher budget. We regret that the Council has not followed the proposals from the Parliament nor the Commission to increase the financial envelop to meet the pressing challenges confronting us”.

On a positive note, the new fund moves away from rigid descriptions of financing possibilities and eligible measures, only prescribing conditions on certain fleet subsidies to ensure a level playing field and sustainable investments. Under the new philosophy, operations not explicitly forbidden will be permitted, granting greater legal security to Member States and fishermen.

The new EMFAF will continue financing operations to modernise and improve energy efficiency, health, safety and working conditions for all fleets regardless of the size of the vessel. Only three specific operations will be exclusively granted to vessels below 24 metres. These are: 1. the replacement of engines with the aim to increase energy efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions; 2. incentivise access to the sector by supporting the first acquisition of vessels by young fishermen; 3. as a novelty, in line with the long-standing call of the sector, operations that require more space on board such as renovating accommodation for the well-being of the crews. Europêche regrets that the call from the Parliament to extend these measures to the whole fleet was finally not taken on board, especially since larger boats are actually subject to binding international legal obligations.  

Europêche welcomes that the new EMFAF may support the temporary cessation of fishing activities for up to 12 months per vessel or per fisherman during the programming period. However, from now on, no compensation will be granted for fishermen in case of non-renewal of a fisheries agreement with a third country. The sector also welcomes the reintroduction of permanent cessation or decommissioning schemes. Thanks to the Parliament, the new fund has included new measures to help fishermen respond to exceptional crises, such as Covid-19, that cause market disruptions such as storage aid and compensations to operators for their income foregone or additional costs.

The industry appreciates the Council’s request for the continuity of the financial support for key actions such as fisheries control and enforcement, including the purchase, installation and management of tracking and electronic systems for all vessels used for control purposes.

Given the Covid-19 situation and the disruption of the markets, Europêche calls on the Commission to facilitate the extension of the current EMFF funding, including the emergency measures adopted last year, allowing its full use until the national operational programmes specifying how governments intend to spend the money are in place.  

The sector appreciates the efforts made by the European Parliament rapporteur Gabriel Mato to fight for a fund that enables the EU fleet to fish better, not to fish more, fully in line with WTO’s mandate to end harmful subsidies.

[1] Commission proposal in 2018 (in current prices): € 6.14 billion. This represented a 5% drop compared with the current EMFF budget (2014-2020) mainly to compensate the upcoming Brexit gap in the EU Budget.

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche: +32.2.230.48.48 rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

EP Press Release – EMFAF Agreement

The board of Europêche will remain at the head of the organization for the next two years to defend the interests of fishermen and fishing-vessel owners before the European institutions. Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “I am grateful for the trust that the members of Europêche have placed in the management team and for the recognition of the work done in the defence of a sustainable fishing activity, both from an environmental and a socio-economic perspective”. He continued: “Now more than ever, the European fishing industry must stand united to deal with common threats such as the Covid pandemic, Brexit or climate change. We are ready to face these challenges together and our commitment is to stand behind our companies and boost their competitiveness within a level playing field to lead EU’s economic recovery”.

During the next term, Europêche will promote a new narrative to turn fisheries from a problem into a solution, showcasing that fish food security can go hand in hand with the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity. According to Europêche, scientific data has shown that the majority of fish stocks in the Atlantic have recovered in a record time and that overfishing in the EU is at an all-time low. In addition, the sector has done its homework by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 40%. This, coupled with the fact that wild-caught fish has one of the lowest environmental footprint, the fishing sector is placed in the front-running position to achieve the targets of the EU Green Deal and combat climate change.

Europêche also aims to place the human element of the sector, fishermen, at the core of EU fisheries policies and their recognition as guardians of the sea through their fight against marine litter. 

Likewise, Europêche will continue to work on the revision of the Fisheries Control System and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) which must be modernised and simplified to meet the needs of the industry and avoid current excessive bureaucracy. Other central policy actions such as strengthening the external dimension of the CFP, creating a level playing field in the EU market, revising the landing obligation or securing abundant fishing opportunities for the fleet, will play an important role in Europêche’s agenda.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32.2.230.48.48 daniel.voces@europeche.org  

EP Press Release – Europêche Elections

Photo by Thomas Millot on Unsplash

Just a couple of weeks ago the European Commission presented its proposal, putting forward the necessary legislative modifications to allow Member States more flexibility to reallocate funds under the EMFF so they could be destined to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus where needed. The Commission also modified EMFF-provisions to allow aid for those fleets forced to stay in the port due to quarantine measures, operational problems or market disruptions. Both the Council and the Parliament, in an unprecedented and rapid manner, not only endorsed the proposal but added further flexibility. These EU institutions included new vessels and fishermen on foot, who are mostly women, as eligible for support in case of temporary cessation as requested by the industry.

Ment van der Zwan, Europêche’s spokesman on social affairs, declared: “We welcome the extraordinary measures quickly adopted by EU authorities. We still urge the European Commission to take further steps to effectively cope with the crisis. These should include the possibility to transfer up to 25% of this year’s unused quota to 2021, measures to compensate the loss of income of fishermen suffering a huge fall in first-sale prices and the injection of extra-funding for countries that have spent most of their available national funding under the EMFF. On top of this, we call on the Commission to launch a seafood promotion campaign in order to boost consumption levels throughout the EU and recognise the hard work and dedication of our fishermen.”

Juan Manuel Trujillo, workers’ spokesman in the EU social dialogue committee on sea-fisheries,  concluded: “The financial package will certainly bring relief and stability to fishermen and their families. As food providers, they need to be identified as essential workers at all levels. In this context, we call on EU institutions to put all efforts to find solutions for the safe repatriation of fishermen who are enduring travel and disembarkation restrictions across the world, allowing for the necessary crew changes. Furthermore, they need priority access to Covid-19 tests and protection means such as masks and gloves.”

The EU Social Partners call upon the Member States to fully implement these extraordinary measures in an effective and balanced manner in order to compensate and relieve both operators and workers to guarantee a future for local fishing communities and the European industry overall.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  daniel.voces@europeche.org

Andrea Albertazzi, ETF Political Secretary: +32 2 28 54 588    a.albertazzi@etf-europe.org

EP and ETF Press Release – COVID 19 EMFF

In its proposal the European Commission has put forward the necessary legislative modifications to allow Member States more flexibility to reallocate and transfer unused financial means of their fisheries funds (EMFF) so it can be destined to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus where needed. The Commission also modifies EMFF-provisions to allow aid for those fleets forced to stay in the port due to quarantine measures, operational problems or market disruptions. Member States may apply this support with retroactive effect from 1^st February 2020. The Commission also reintroduces storage aid mechanisms for fish unsold due to the lack of market demand or extremely low prices, with a view to fostering the stabilisation of the markets.

While welcoming these fundamental changes, the Industry however would have liked to see a higher level of ambition regarding the measures proposed. In this context, Mr Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “We are facing a paradox: EU and national governments are encouraging our operators to continue fishing but, for the moment, they are not tabling any measure to compensate the loss of income faced by our companies due to the huge reduction of up to 50% of fish prices threatening their financial viability. It should be seen as fundamental that our fishermen continue to supply healthy food under these very difficult circumstances. Therefore, it is essential for them to receive a certain level of income compensation through the EMFF or other funds to make this possible.”

Pim Visser, President of EAPO commented: “The COVID-19 pandemic will have tremendous and unpredictable implications for the future of our industry. We appreciate the efforts and legislative changes made by the Commission to unlock and redistribute the existing funding possibilities. However, many countries have already spent or committed most of their available national funding under the EMFF. In addition, the market situation, once the public health crisis is under control, is expected to be very difficult. Therefore, extra-funding should be injected in the fisheries fund by the EU, in order for these measures to effectively cope with the crisis. We are just in the midst of a horrific storm and we do not know how long it will last.”

Javier Garat, concluded: “The fishing industry is a vital, sustainable and responsible sector, committed to continue fishing and maintaining food security. However, the fishing sector has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 crisis. If we want to have a healthy fishing industry after the crisis we need additional funding and full flexibility in the interpretation and application of any new rules.”

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces de Onaíndi, Managing Director of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48 daniel.voces@europeche.org

Emiel Brouckaert, Secretary General of EAPO: +32 59 43 20 05  info@eapo.com

EP and EAPO Press Release – COVID 19 EMFF

In a position paper sent to EU decision-makers the sector points out severe operational problems such as port and equipment supply restrictions, logistical difficulties, and soaring freight prices on shipments of fish. With regard to commercial factors, the sector shows concern over the collapse in first-sale fish prices, largely due to the closure of restaurants, schools, businesses and food markets and the strict limitations imposed on travel and tourism. Europêche reminds EU consumers that seafood is a vital part of a healthy diet and remains a safe, smart choice at grocery stores. Europêche underlines that the industry is increasingly limited in performing crew rotation or changes due to quarantines, get supply of drugs or protective materials or simply repatriate fishermen.

In order to alleviate as much as possible the current situation of trade and value chain disruptions and evaporating market demand resulting in falling price levels, Europêche asks for legislative changes to enable fishermen to carry over more than the existing 10% of their fishing quotas to next year and for fair intervention prices for unsold fish. In the document, the industry demands a series of measures that guarantee the logistical needs of crews and ships, such as the transport of crews, equipment, health protocols tailored to each fleet and guaranteeing the supply of masks and gloves both to ships and to fish markets or fish auction halls.

Europêche also urges policy-makers to modify the fisheries fund regulation in order to quickly adjust and provide financial aid for those fishing companies that are forced to cease their operations for imperative reasons such as member states measures to avoid the spread of the COVID-19, designation of high risk areas, crew infections or lack of market demand.

In addition to these vital mitigation measures the sector calls on Member States to introduce national measures such as VAT reduction, suspension of social security contributions and tax exemptions.

Furthermore, in view of the current developments, it only seems logical to extend the Brexit transition period with another 12 months at least, although Europêche understands that such decision depends on agreement by the UK.

Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, declared: “Our fishermen are doing a fantastic job. While far away from their homes and families, they continue bringing healthy seafood to our plates in a very challenging environment. They deserve the full attention of our public authorities to secure their safety, their economies and the continuity of the food supply”.

EP Letter to Commissioner Sinkevičius on COVID-19

EP and EAPO Letter response Impact of COVID-19 on the fishery sector

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

EP Press Release – COVID-19