. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SCM/Q2/EEC/63 
27 April 2010 
 (10-2191) 
Committee on Subsidies 
and Countervailing Measures Original:   English 
 
 
 
SUBSIDIES  
 
Replies to Questions Posed by the UNITED STATES1 Regarding  
the New and Full Subsidies Notification of  
the EUROPEAN UNION2 
   The following communication, dated 23 April 2010,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the European Union.   
 
_______________ 
 
 
Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) - Emergency Funds 
 
 It is our understanding that, in 2008, the European Commission undertook "emergency measures" that increased aid to fishermen under the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
3  
The measures allow EU Members to provide extra aid to firms, so long as the firms have 
committed to undertaking restructuring plans that will lead to a reduction in capacity.    
• Please explain what type of aid is being provided to fishing operations ( i.e., grants, tax 
exemptions and/or loans) under these emergency measures.   
• Please explain how the Commission and/or  EU Members determine how much in 
'emergency measures' can be provided by  each EU Member and to each fishing 
operation.   
• How does the Commission and/or the EU Memb er monitor and verify that the recipient 
fishing operations have implemented the requi red capacity reduction plans?  Must the 
recipients provide the EU Members with docume ntation indicating what steps they plan 
on taking in order to decrease fishing capacity?   
 
Reply
 
  The measures referred to by the US have been subject to official publication.  The EU would 
therefore like to refer the US to comprehensive in formation which is publishe d on the website of the 
European Commission.  The following documents comp rehensively address the questions of the US:   
 - Commission Communication to the European Par liament and to the Council on promoting the 
adaptation of the European Union fishing fleet s to the economic consequences of high fuel 
prices (doc. COM/2008/0453 fina l of 8 August 2008).   
                                                     
 
1 G/SCM/Q2/EEC/58.   
2 G/SCM/N/186/EEC.   
3 Subsidy Watch, Issue 26 August 2008.   G/SCM/Q2/EEC/63 
Page 2  
 
  - Council Regulation (EC) No 744/2008 of 24 July 2008 instituting a temporary specific action 
aiming to promote the restructuring of the Eur opean Community fishing fleets affected by the 
economic crisis (the "RESTRUCTURING REGUL ATION").  This regulation was published 
in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ L 202, 31.07.2008, p. 1).   
 
 With regard to the monitoring and implemen tation of these measures detailed information can 
be found in the following document:    - Second Annual Report of the European Commission on implementation of the 
European Fisheries Fund (2008) (doc. COM/2009/0696 final of 21 December 2009).   
 
 The above document includes a specific chapter on the Council Regulation (EC) No 744/2008 (the "RESTRUCTURING REGULATION").     These documents are available at the we bsite of the European Commission:   
 
 http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/press_co rner/press_releases/2008/com08_54_en.htm
 
 
Fleet Adjustment Schemes4 
 
• Can the EU explain whether this programme has been implemented?  If so, please 
provide the required notification information under Article 25 of the SCM Agreement.   
 
Reply  
  The EU assumes that the question of the US addresses the Fleet Adaptation Schemes as specified in Articles 11 to 17 of Council Regulation (EC) No 744/2008 of 24 July 2008 (OJ L 202, 
31.07.2008, p. 1) (the "RESTRUCTURING RE GULATION").  Aid granted under the Fleet 
Adaptation schemes was funded under the European Fisheries Fund (EFF).  This scheme is already 
included in the EU's subsidy notification 2009 ( section VI. B) in the appropriate format.   
  More information on the implementation by  Member States of these Fleet Adaptation 
Schemes can be found in the Second Annual Report of the European Commission on implementation 
of the European Fisheries Fund (2008) under section 3. 2.2.  "Special measures for fleets concerned by 
Fleet Adaptation Schemes".  (doc. COM/ 2009/0696 final of 21 December 2009).   
  The mentioned documents are available at the website of the European Commission:    
 http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/press_co rner/press_releases/2008/com08_54_en.htm
 
   
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4 Daily Mail (London), 18 June 2008.