The European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee have voted to seriously weaken central provisions of the Common Fisheries Policy. Deciding to re-introduce a 50 kg minimum threshold of catch for reporting purposes and to provide a two year window for not complying with the landing obligation as well as limit the application of this regulation to 2015 only.
The European Parliament´s Fisheries Committee meet today to vote on amendments to a series of existing laws, the so-called Omnibus regulation, which is to deal with technical details of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
The omnibus regulation has been described as the “sticking plaster” intended to align the existing legislation to the landing obligation under the reformed CFP, thereby creating a coherent legal framework. It is a temporary solution in support of the interim regionally based “discard plans”, with provisions eventually being incorporated in the multiannual plans. It sets out to remove inconsistencies in current regulations that would be contradictory to a discard ban. However, with the amendments voted through, the regulation will now undermine central measures of the reformed CFP that would have ensured the end of the wasteful practice of discarding perfectly edible caught fish back into the sea.
The Fisheries Committee have in short decided to:
- Re-introduce a 50kg minimum threshold of catch for reporting purposes.
This would permit large amounts of unmonitored fish to be removed from the sea without being covered by logbook reporting requirements. This was not envisioned in the reformed CFP where it is stated that fully documented fisheries are required (Art. 15.1 and 15.5 c ii), and will have serious impacts on scientific advice for fisheries management (including quotas) in the coming years.
- Provide a two year window for not complying with the landing obligation.
Fisheries/Fishermen who have received subsidies under the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) but don’t comply with the landing obligation will not be required to pay these amounts back. Not the intention of the reformed CFP.
- Limit the application of omnibus regulation to 2015 only.
Thus another proposal will be needed next year, which will negatively impact the long-term planning of fishers, including investments and planning security.
A political agreement is needed before 1st January, as a consequence Alain Cadec MEP and rapporteur has requested and received a mandate to start negotiations with the Council immediately. If an agreement is reached early, these basic rules will be communicated to Member States and control authorities to provide legal clarity for all stakeholders.
FISH together with Seas at Risk sent a letter with recommendations on the Commission proposal for amendments in connection with implementation of the landing obligation – the omnibus regulation (COM(2013)889) – and the draft European Parliament report (2013/0436(COD) to members of the Fisheries Committee prior to the October meeting.