The European social partners in the sea fisheries sector concluded back in 2012 an agreement on the implementation of the ILO C188, which triggered its transposition into EU law through an EU Directive (Directive 2017/159). The EU Law provides worldwide access to decent working and living conditions for fishermen aboard EU vessels. However, the sector recalls that in order to create an international level playing field, it is equally important to ratify the C188, for which the number of signing countries remain insufficient, also at European level.

Cor Blonk, Chair of the European Sea Fisheries Social Dialogue Committee: “At present, only 18 countries worldwide have ratified the ILO C188, 7 of which are EU Member States. If we compare this with the equivalent for merchant shipping, we see that 97 countries have ratified the Maritime Labour Convention, including 25 out of the 27 EU Member States”. Given the aforementioned, ETF and Europêche believed it is high time to address the practical dimension and concrete challenges on the ratification of the Convention with the aid of the valuable expertise of the invited panellists.

In this sense, Juan Manuel Trujillo, President of the European Transport Workers’ Federation Fisheries Section, declared: “It is fundamental for EU Member States to ratify the ILO C188 as it would align the legislation on decent work to a common level and with the EU Directive. Consequently, fishers’ wages and working conditions would be protected and couldn’t be used to compensate for the ever more pressing global competition between fishing companies and fleets. Above all, it would encourage third countries which have a relevant share of the fishing sector and more problems when it comes to the protection of fishers’ rights to do the same”.

Ment van der Zwan, employers’ spokesman in the EU social dialogue committee on sea-fisheries, concurred: “There is urgent need to ratify the ILO C188 to ensure a level playing field and fair competition among fishing companies across the world, especially considering the strong international dimension of the fishing sector. Even more when the EU equivalent law does not cover in its integrity self-employed fishermen given the limited EU competence on this field. Therefore, transposing the Directive is a huge step forward but not enough, and should go hand in hand with the ratification of ILO C188”.

The ILO representative, Mr Brandt Wagner, gave a comprehensive overview on the origin and history of the C188 stressing the fundamental importance of its ratification. The European Commission outlined where the EU Directive adds or varies from the provisions of the Convention, and highlighted how the current status of the implementation in EU Member States showcases the need for further promotion and facilitation of the Convention and linkage with the Directive.

Press contacts:

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

Andrea Albertazzi, Fisheries Policy Officer of ETF: a.albertazzi@etf-europe.org

EP and ETF Press Release – Social Partners C188 Webinar

The Council of the EU will shortly approve a regulation setting autonomous tariff quotas (ATQs) for certain fishery products for the years 2021-2023. The ATQ regulation covers species such as tuna, Alaska pollack, cod, flatfish or shrimp for which a relatively high volume can be imported from non-EU countries at a reduced or zero-duty tariff. The fishing industry represented by Europêche and EAPO believe that ATQs are being used in many cases with the sole purpose of getting access to cheap and low-standard fish from foreign fleets which in turn puts pressure on EU producers’ prices and employment. Both organisations call on the EU Council of Ministers to reduce the amount of imported duty-free fish to at least levels set in the European Commission’s proposal¹.

Every two or three years, the EU revise the volume of fish for which custom duties are suspended or reduced, taking into consideration the utilisation rate, the need for a level playing field between EU and non-EU producers, value added and other trade preferences. Following a rather balanced proposal from the Commission, the Council of the EU is significantly increasing tariff quotas and even introducing new species that can benefit from tax derogations. This has not come as a surprise to the fishing industry since, from the beginning, there has been a constant trend to increase the amount of tons exempted from import duties in the EU. While in 1992, only 6 species representing 43,000 tons were granted reduced import duties, the EU will grant zero duty access to more than 20 species representing 810,000 tons, compared to 750,000 tons in the previous regulation.

The EU catching sector is not opposed to a rational tariff free setting for certain fishery products that are not sufficiently produced in the EU. However, in light of the negative socio-economic consequences of ATQs for the EU fishing industry, this instrument cannot be intended to foment imports from non-sustainable sources nor to put pressure on EU producers’ prices.

Javier Garat, President of Europêche, declared: “The same story repeats revision after revision. The Council only listens to some EU processing companies that want to get access to cheap fish from non-EU countries regardless of the origin or way of production. The increases in volume of duty-free fish works to the detriment of EU producers who have to comply with the highest standards of sustainability. Why demanding so much to our fishermen when the EU opens a back door for non-EU products without even questioning their sustainability? Only yesterday, the Council committed to ensuring a fair income and strong support for primary producers under the farm to fork strategy. The new ATQ Regulation is therefore a step in the wrong direction. The EU should work towards achieving a true level playing field in practice, and not just on paper, between EU produced and third country produced seafood.

Mr Pim Visser, President of EAPO, declared: “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, fishermen are facing extremely low prices and the quantities of unsold catches for certain species is rising. Already 60% of the fish consumed in the EU comes from outside our borders. Subsidising additional fish imports from non-EU countries would not only increase Union market’s dependence on fish imports but also put further pressure on prices and leave our companies out of business. Fishers feel abandoned by an EU that puts so much emphasis on the sustainability of EU products but so little on imported fish.”  

[1] Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION opening and providing for the management of autonomous Union tariff quotas for certain fishery products for the 2021-2023 period COM(2020) 322 final

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 – ATQs