The European Commission organised a three day conference on the implementation of Priority Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) – Sustainable Development of Fisheries Regions. The conference built on two previous events; in Tallin 2005, and Porto 2006. The conference had about 60 participants, mostly representing EU member states and regional authorities.
Priority axis 4 constitutes one of 5 priority areas within the EFF, running between 2007 and 2013. It aims to provide funding for sustainable development of fisheries regions in decline. In so doing, axis 4 offers funding to diversify activities in regions heavily dependent on fishing. Since it is an entire priority axis looking away from the fisheries sector as the primary beneficiary it constitutes the most radical change in comparison to the previous fisheries fund, FIFG, which ran between 2000-2006.
The main objectives of the conference were for member states to exchange views upon:
- the role of priority axis 4 in the Operational Programmes;
- how to encourage and select high value local strategies;
- how to build and select local groups, and
- how to select and identify fisheries regiones.
Reflections from the conference
Between the Operational Programmes (OP), priority Axis 4 plays a very different role in different member states. Ireland and the UK were the member states that stood out most in terms of emphasising the need to use axis 4 to diversify activities in fisheries areas in decline. I.e. they spoke for an outward look from fisheries towards other sectors, rather than allocating money to actual fishing activities. They also recognized the possibility of using axis 4 as a platform to attract additional funding from other structural funds by involving all groups in society, the tourism industry in particular. Moreover, UK and Ireland emphasized that the initiatives should come from the stakeholders active in the local action groups in a bottom up approach, rather than from local authorities.
France, which demonstrated opposite views than the latter mentioned member states, wanted to focus the stakeholder participation in local action groups to fishermen, and have the initiatives steered by local authorities.
Spain, the member state claiming almost one third of the entire budget under the EFF, was communicating a positive message similar to that of the UK and Ireland, especially in the region of Galicia, an area heavily dependent on fishing, with its large fishing ports of Vigo and Coruña.
The majority of the member states indicated that they will spend a relatively small portion of their EFF funding on axis 4, the exceptions primarily being Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Estonia, Denmark and Bulgaria
Great difference between member states
It is very positive to see that a large member state like Spain is starting to acknowledge the need to direct fisheries subsidies away from the fishing sector in order to achieve long term sustainable development of coastal communities. It is however sad that some member states seem reluctant to spend larger amounts of money on axis 4, which has a very good potential of diversifying activities in areas heavily dependent on fishing. A great opportunity to release some of the pressure put on European fish stocks, and at the same time increasing the living standards of European fishing communities could therefore be lost in many parts of Europe.
“Opposed to most EFF funding which is likely to even further increase pressure on the already depleted resources, for instance through modernisation of vessels, Priority Axis 4 is a unique chance to promote sustainable development within fisheries communities.”, says Markus Knigge, subsidies policy officer of WWF European policy Office.