EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 76/38

Thursday 19 February 2009

Applied research relating to the common fisheries policy

P6_TA(2009)0065

European Parliament resolution of 19 February 2009 on applied research relating to the common fisheries policy (2008/2222(INI))

2010/C 76 E/07

The European Parliament,

having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the common fisheries policy (1),

having regard to Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013) (2),

having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 3 September 2008 entitled ‘A European Strategy for Marine and Maritime Research: A coherent European Research Area framework in support of a sustainable use of oceans and seas’ (COM(2008)0534) (‘the marine and maritime research strategy’),

having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 19 September 2002 on a strategy for the sustainable development of European aquaculture (COM(2002)0511),

having regard to its position adopted at first reading on 15 June 2006 with a view to the adoption of a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the seventh framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) (3),

having regard to its resolution of 20 May 2008 on an integrated maritime policy for the European Union (4),

having regard to Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) (5),

having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 199/2008 of 25 February 2008 concerning the establishment of a Community framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the common fisheries policy (6),

having regard to Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (7),

having regard to the report of the world summit on sustainable development held in Johannesburg (South Africa) from 26 August to 4 September 2002,

having regard to the Aberdeen Declaration adopted on 22 June 2007 at the EurOCEAN conference by European marine and maritime research organisations, scientific networks and a large number of scientists from across Europe,

having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A6-0016/2009),

A. whereas the Commission has sought to stimulate European research on fisheries and aquaculture since the 4th Framework Programme in order to support the common fisheries policy (CFP),

B. whereas in the 7th Framework Programme, all research on fisheries and aquaculture is incorporated in the wider context of research on agriculture (thematic area 2), whilst marine sciences and the management of coastal zones come under environmental science,

C. whereas the code of conduct for responsible fishing of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the agreement for the implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea relating to the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks both stress the need to develop research activities and the collection of data in order to improve scientific knowledge in the sector,

D. whereas the CFP is among the Community policies most dependent on scientific research and the credibility of the measures adopted under the CFP rests on high-quality scientific opinions,

E. whereas the CFP is founded on principles of good governance, which require that the decision-making process should be based on serious scientific opinions and should produce timely results,

F. whereas scientific data must be taken as the basis for setting quotas and the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY),

G. whereas fishermen and scientists often disagree in their estimates of the state of the sea and fish stocks,

H. whereas the marine and maritime research strategy, while recognising the importance of continuing efforts in the various marine and maritime disciplines, focuses on improving interactions between marine research and maritime research rather than targeting research sectors that are already well established,

I. whereas the centres of research excellence existing in the outermost regions are especially useful means of observing the marine landscape for Europe, in the context of the marine and maritime research strategy,

J. whereas the forthcoming review of the CFP, attaching greater importance to regional and ecosystem management, requires a solid basis of scientific knowledge,

1. Is convinced that it is necessary, in the policies pursued with regard to research, to pay greater attention to the specific problems of fisheries and aquaculture in view of the sector’s economic, social and political importance in the EU;

2. Welcomes the fresh efforts made by the Commission through its marine and maritime research strategy to mobilise resources with a view to improved integration between marine research and maritime research;

3. Reminds the Commission that, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002, it has a legal obligation to base its proposals relating to the CFP on ‘sound scientific advice and on the precautionary approach’; calls on the Commission to emphasise and make a case for the importance of scientific research into the state of the sea and fish stocks;

4. Is concerned at the reorganisation of themes in the 7th Framework Programme, which means that research on fish production has been separated from fisheries and marine ecology, even though a clear reorientation of the CFP towards an ecosystem approach would on the contrary require a greater degree of integration;

5. Deplores the fact that the 7th Framework Programme does not consider either fisheries or aquaculture as specific strands, and refers only to thematic area 2, ‘Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology’, which covers fisheries research, but only remotely and if interpreted in the wider sense; notes that the same applies to thematic area 6, ‘Environment (including climate change)’;

6. Calls on the Commission to review the 7th Framework Programme when the mid-term evaluation is carried out, scheduled for 2010, taking account of this resolution and paying greater attention to the specific problems of fisheries and aquaculture;

7. Is convinced that both policy-makers and operators in the fisheries sector have a crucial need for a more practical type of research and, given the duration of the 7th Framework Programme, it is imperative to include the objectives to be achieved;

8. Takes the view that, owing to the absence of specific strands for fisheries and aquaculture in the 7th Framework Programme, there is not enough incentive for a sufficient number of research projects to be drawn up in these areas, which has a detrimental effect on the importance and relevance of the projects selected;

9. Stresses that, in order to ensure the effective implementation of the CFP, specific programmes need to be put in place in the field of applied research, and their funding needs to be ensured through an adequate budget allocation; takes the view that, to this end, it is vital to include an allocation key in the 7th Framework Programme;

10. Calls on the Commission for the funding of applied research in the field of the CFP under the 7th Framework Programme to be used as a lever to promote synergies between research efforts in the various Member States and attain the critical mass necessary to meet the great challenges of cross-thematic marine research;

11. Recommends that, in the field of scientific marine research, priority be given not only to research to gain knowledge of the state of fish stocks but also to the ecosystemic, commercial, economic and social aspects that determine fisheries management, since all these aspects are of crucial importance;

12. Takes the view that, in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture in particular, priority should be given to applied research whose fundamental objective should be to improve the scientific data used as a basis for legislation and fisheries management, particularly as regards recovery plans for species at biological risk;

13. Notes a clear conflict of interest between fishermen and scientists in the short term, whereas their long-term objectives are more compatible; considers that a consensus about the state of the sea must be the basis for a fisheries policy geared to sustainability; calls on the Commission to promote better cooperation between fishermen and scientists;

14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to demonstrate and better convey to fishermen that it is in their interests to take into account the economic benefit that they can expect in the medium or long term in the assessment of their presumed short-term economic loss;

15. Stresses the worrying problem of the shortage of young scientists in applied research in the fisheries sector, because careers are not very attractive compared to basic research and other scientific disciplines;

16. Stresses the need to re-establish interesting and status-enhancing university degree courses leading on to remunerative careers for this scientific path;

17. Is in favour of an education policy that provides greater motivation for young scientists to take up applied research in the fisheries sector, rather than basic research;

18. Urges the Commission to promote the creation of a stable European network, based on the existing physical infrastructure in the Member States and geared to the observation of and collection of data on the marine environment, that would facilitate the exchange of information between operators in the sector and European research bodies, and would maintain the EU in a position of excellence; calls on the Commission to take particular account for this network of the research centres existing in the outermost regions;

19. Recalls the need to standardise the various applied research models currently used in the Member States to make it easier to compare the results and facilitate the aggregation of data;

20. Calls on the Commission to encourage the scientific community to draw up more common methodology standards in fisheries research and step up cooperation between national research institutes;

21. Calls on the Commission to gather specific information on the way in which the dialogue between scientists and fishermen currently operates in the various Member States and to list best practices;

22. Stresses that the Regional Advisory Councils have an important role to play in the context of applied research and asks, consequently, that it should be possible for scientists to be full members of these bodies;

23. Notes with concern that the total amount spent by Member States on collecting data in the fisheries sector has declined constantly since 2006;

24. Calls on the Commission and Member States to allocate the appropriations entered in the EU budget for the collection of data in the fisheries sector, in particular under budget heading 11 07 02: ‘Support for the management of fishery resources (improvement of scientific advice)’;

25. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

(1) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 59.

(2) OJ L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 1.

(3) OJ C 300 E, 9.12.2006, p. 400.

(4) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2008)0213.

(5) OJ L 164, 25.6.2008, p. 19.

(6) OJ L 60, 5.3.2008, p. 1.

(7) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.