EN Official Journal of the European Union C 141/37

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Green Paper — reform of the common fisheries policy and a sustainable future for aquaculture

2010/C 141/08

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

— agrees on the need to structure the decision-making process within the CFP, including delegating the regulation and/or management of some activity to the Member States, to the regions, and to the sector itself, within the framework of Community laws;

— recommends closer examination of introducing transferable fishing rights with appropriate safeguards, while taking the view that individual administered quotas may constitute one line of approach, but individual transferable quotas on the other hand would jeopardise the balance in the sector;

— agrees with establishing a differentiated fishing regime for small-scale fishing and shellfishing, maintaining access to public finance for these activities and making it easier for decisions specific to this fleet to be taken at regional level; artisanal or small-scale coastal fisheries should not to be defined by vessel length but rather in line with other additional criteria;

— recommends that for each fishing zone, the fisheries management system that best matches the zone in question, the target species and the type of fleet be evaluated and urges the further examination of catch-based quota management;

— recommends regulation of access to public aid in the same way as under the Common Agricultural Policy, by introducing the concept of conditionality;

— believes that the EU must facilitate the competitive development of the aquaculture sector, including a roadmap for 2010 identifying the limits by region, the promotion of ecological fish farming and support for the European Aquaculture Technology & Innovation Platform (EATIP) and highlights the importance of maritime spatial planning, animal health programmes, labelling standards and administrative simplification procedures for the sector.

Rapporteur : Mr Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso (ES/EPP), President of the Autonomous Community of Murcia

Reference documents:

Green Paper – Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

COM(2009) 163 final

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council – Building a sustainable future for aquaculture

COM(2009) 162 final

I. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

INTRODUCTION

1. believes the Commission vision for European Fisheries by 2020 is achievable and wishes to contribute fully to the debate on the necessary reforms to realise that vision with least disruption in the workplace and least distortion of the market. Review and reform of the Common Fisheries Policy offers unique opportunities not only to address the shortcomings of the past, but to provide confidence and assurances for the future. Through full engagement with fishing communities, fish stocks will be better managed, fleets will be better aligned to resources, fishing operations will be better regulated and economic returns will provide the safeguards necessary for long-term security;

2. considers that fishing is a means of living in many regions of Europe, as well as a source of supply for a highly dependent processing industry. Although it is long-standing and has been reformed, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has not succeeded in resolving the growing problems of the sector, which must face a range of major challenges: the existence of over-fishing, failure to adapt fishing capacity to available resources and the objective of social,environmental and economic sustainability, the need for energy transition in vessels, the precarious state of many fisheries resources and a high degree of subvention that has led to an extremely fragile economic situation. In addition, the Fisheries Partnership Agreements with developing countries are in many cases threatening the food security of developing countries, contributing to overfishing and preventing the development of local fishing industries;

3. is of the view that the new CFP must lead to a more comprehensive focus, tying in with maritime and environmental policies, equipped with new tools to address the persistent problem of excess fleet capacity, applying low-cost formulas. To achieve this, a political framework must be devised with arrangements for taking medium- and long-term decisions, decentralisation of certain aspects, and with clear objectives. There is also a need to enhance the sector's governance, to define enforcement mechanisms that provide a surer guarantee of compliance with the rules, and to foster a sector that is more committed to managing and implementing CFP measures and assumes greater responsibility in this respect;

4. believes that aquaculture has the potential to provide healthy, safe, sustainable high-quality products under strict environmental conditions, representing a stabilising factor for employment in many regions of Europe that depend to a greater or lesser extent on fishing. The EU has taken a number of initiatives to promote fisheries, in the form of structural financial tools (FIFG, EFF), as well as with support for and implementation of strategies for their sustainable development. Although much has been achieved, production has risen significantly less than the world average, and we are now faced with the challenges of integrating aquaculture into maritime and environmental policies, gearing it towards the use of environmentally friendly methods within the framework of a sustainable fisheries policy, fostering competitiveness, Integrated Coastal Zone Management, improving governance and consolidating health and animal welfare guarantees, as has been done for other livestock sectors, all under strict consumer protection conditions;

5. is convinced that the growth of the world population, future EU enlargements,the pollution of maritime and inland waters and its impact on coastal ecosystems, and climate change are matters that the CFP must consider from a medium-term point of view, as they will entail change in management trends for fisheries and aquaculture;

GREEN PAPER – REFORM OF THE COMMON FISHERIES POLICY

General comments

6. welcomes the Commission's timely initiative to present the Green Paper on the Reform of the CFP (COM(2009) 163 final), launching the consultation procedure, together with the self-criticism regarding the failure of certain aspects of the CFP, its proposals to improve the existing CFP up to 2012, and its thoughts about the new CFP from 2013 onwards;

7. agrees that there is a failure to adapt fleet capacity, which is most marked in specific segments, and supports the implementation of mechanisms to bring the size of European fisheries fleets into line with exploitable resources and with a more sustainable social and economic approach. These mechanisms must optimise the use of financial public resources, and it views this as a vital factor if other aspects of the CFP are to be fully implemented;

8. stresses the vital role of local and regional authorities as a precondition for a successful CFP. Specifically, suggests reinforcing the role of the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs);

9. points out that if the CFP is to be effectively incorporated into the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP), regional and local fisheries authorities must be prepared to commit themselves in this area, and make a real contribution;

10. is in favour of promoting closer cooperation between Member State coastguard services, and supports the decision to prepare measures to introduce a more integrated control system;

11. recommends closer examination of the advantages and disadvantages of introducing transferable fishing rights with appropriate safeguards, covering both collective and individual fishing rights;

12. agrees that any future measures taken and commitments made under the CFP in order to avert or cushion against the economic and social effects of reductions in fishing opportunities must always be compatible with long-term ecological sustainability;

13. urges that existing fishing conservation zones be retained and indeed expanded;

14. agrees on the need to structure the decision-making process within the CFP, making use in specific cases of the comitology procedure and delegating the regulation and/or management of some fisheries activity to the Member States, to the regions, and to the sector itself, within the framework of Community laws; therefore calls for a system of management by coastline, by estuary and by fishery (ecosystem-based approach);

15. backs the Commission's proposal for the sector to assume greater responsibility in implementing the CFP. Only fishermen who exercise their responsibilities properly must have access to fish stocks, bearing in mind that these constitute a public domain and that the cost of managing these resources is largely borne by tax-payers;

16. supports the development of a culture of compliance. Member States' access to Community funding should be restricted when they fail to fulfil their control and conservation responsibilities;

17. supports the introduction of real-time data collection systems providing up-to-date technical information on catches;

18. calls on the Commission to ensure that CFP reform takes account of the specific needs of the outermost regions, in the light of their structural and socio-economic conditions, and in keeping with the European strategy for the outermost regions;

19. urges the Commission to assume world leadership in developing systems to adapt fisheries and coastal zone policies to climate change;

Comments on the initiative

A differentiated fishing regime to protect small-scale coastal fleets

20. agrees with the initiative to establish a differentiated fishing regime to manage small-scale fishing and shellfishing, which are closely tied in with the cultural identity of many regions of Europe and employ many workers belonging to micro-businesses. It welcomes the proposal to maintain access to public finance for these activities;

21. fully supports the Commission's intention, as part of an ecosystem approach, to make it easier for decisions specific to this fleet to be taken at regional level, in constant compliance with overall Community rules and principles;

22. believes that community engagement in local partnership structures are key to maximising local input in the definition of the specific potentials and drawbacks in a given area as well as to ensure that delivery fits with local conditions;

23. recommends closer examination of the concept of artisanal or small-scale coastal fisheries, so that this is not defined by vessel length, but rather in line with other, additional criteria such as the activity's economic and social connection with the municipalities, the duration of fishing operations, type of catch, inclusion (or not) in a specific fishing plan, etc.;

24. considers that the maintenance costs generated by blue boxes are too high for small vessels carrying out small-scale fishing in coastal waters; the Commission should therefore allow for the use of alternative, less costly systems;

25. emphasises that this non-industrial fleet is directly affected by distortions caused by the globalised market. In this regard, and bearing in mind the increased effort as a result of technological improvements, the possibility of aid for new building under the adjustment programmes should be re-examined, with a view to creating a competitive fleet that matches the fishing opportunities available to each vessel and ensures fishermen's safety, given the difficulty in access to fishing grounds; moreover, it would be extremely useful to make it mandatory for labelling to distinguish products from this fleet, indicating the product origin in a way that is easy for consumers to understand;

26. urges the Commission to promote proper training for maritime workers, acquiring the business, maritime and environmental skills and good health practices that will enable these human resources to remain in fisheries-dependent areas and to diversify their activity into other areas of interest to civil society such as assisting in countering marine pollution or providing sea rescue services;

27. invites the Commission to promote an integrated initiative to develop and improve infrastructure in island and remote regions that are dependent on small-scale coastal fishing;

Making the most of our fisheries

28. shares the aim of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, at which the Member States accepted the Maximum Sustainable Yield as an objective to be achieved by 2015. This objective must be a fundamental guiding principle of the CFP. It also welcomes the policy to eradicate discards; proposes to evaluate the effects on the ecosystem of industrial fishing used to make meal for farmed fish;

29. suggests to delegate to Member States a better regulation of fleet access to areas of special conservation interest, with a view to recovering and maintaining conservation areas status at a favourable level;

30. urges the further examination of a catch-based quota management system founded on the fishermen’s own verifiable documentation;

31. applauds the Commission's initiative in proposing a change in the fisheries management system, based on limiting the days a fishing vessel can go out to fish, or using the current system for single-species fisheries;

32. recommends that, for each fishing zone, the fisheries management system that best matches the zone in question, the target species and the type of fleet should be evaluated. The unit of management must be the fishing area and all the exploited species in the area, except where migrating species are concerned;

33. recalls that the solution to some problems inevitably entails introducing incentives for individual fishermen and associations (co-management) that encourage fishermen to operate responsibly;

34. proposes that a ‘certificate of fisheries excellence’, verified by an outside company, be introduced: in the same way as under maritime policy, this would provide guarantees that fisheries development is guided in such a way as to comply strictly with legislation;

35. considers that a uniform fisheries compliance and control system needs to be implemented by establishing ISO-standard models, such as ISO 17020;

36. recommends that fishing for sport or leisure be seen as increasingly important aspects to be taken into account in fisheries management. Diversification of fishing activity towards fishing tourism should represent a potential outlet for fishermen who are qualified to captain the relevant type of vessel, and as a means of absorbing employment and reducing the fishing effort;

Relative stability and access to coastal fisheries

37. points out that application of relative stability may often have led to increases in total allowable catches (TACs) exceeding scientific recommendations, boosted the number of discards and diminished the chances of rational use of fisheries resources;

38. agrees with the Commission that the principle of relative stability fails to guarantee that fishing rights are used as effectively and efficiently as possible. There is a discrepancy between the quotas allocated to Member States and the actual needs and uses of the quota by the national fleets. Consequently, it recommends that the principle of relative stability be reviewed, and the adjustments to the quota requirements of national fleets be checked against the availability of fishing rights;

39. takes the view that on the matter of transferable fishing rights, IAQs (individual administered quotas) may constitute one line of approach, but ITQs (individual transferable quotas) on the other hand would jeopardise the balance in the sector. Their main effect is to concentrate catch capacity in the hands of big companies and speed up the disappearance of small-scale fishermen. Moreover, it would not make sense to envisage separate arrangements for managing small-scale fishing fleets and at the same time abandon the fate of fishing rights solely to the rules of the market;

40. supports the initiative to retain restrictions of fishing opportunities within the 12 nautical mile limit;

Trade and markets

41. agrees that all fisheries products coming onto the Community market, including imports, must be guaranteed to come from sustainably-managed fisheries, in order to ensure a level playing field on the EU market; suggests that a preliminary assessment of the environmental impact be held before granting a fishing licence;

42. recommends devising initiatives that guarantee the origin of fisheries products, by promoting labelling for fresh produce certifying traceability and origin;

43. considers that certificates of fisheries excellence should be encouraged, regarding both the fisheries and marketing aspects, as a guarantee to consumers of rigorous respect for the resource;

44. agrees that the part producers' organisations play in fisheries management needs to be strengthened;

45. calls for on-going training and the identification of training needs in producers' organisations to be promoted as a key factor in enhancing the quality of the fish markets;

Integrating the CFP in the broader maritime policy context

46. agrees with the Commission's view of the need to implement the Integrated Maritime Policy as a key instrument for making progress in maritime affairs that have a strong impact on other sectoral policies – the CFP in particular – and with a constant view to the sustainable development of coastal regions, special attention being given to sustainable fisheries in the future and adjusting to climate change;

47. believes that, in line with the principle of Territorial Cohesion, the future survival of coastal communities will be dependent on diversification and establishing a sustainable economic base that provides a wide range of opportunities that will anchor the talents of future generations rather than forcing them to migrate to larger towns and cities in search of a better quality of life;

48. recommends that, within the IMP, the fisheries sector be able to take part in devising and carrying out other activities that are compatible with fishing, such as fishing tourism (e.g. recreational fishing and whale watching), combating pollution, rescue services or seabed cleaning;

49. urges the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and regions, to prepare Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for coastal spatial planning purposes;

50. believes in particular that Local Coastal Partnerships made up by Local Authorities and relevant stakeholders can be crucial to ensure that Integrated Coastal Zone Management is effective and undertaken in a bottom up fashion;

51. calls on the Commission to promote the introduction of multifunctional qualifications for captains of fisheries vessels, that are valid throughout Europe, allow them to diversify fisheries activities, and are compatible with other professional activities;

The knowledge base for the policy

52. hails the initiatives aimed at improving communication between scientists, policy makers and stakeholders, particularly the Advisory Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture (ACFA) and the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs);

53. stresses that decision-making processes must be based on solid, reliable data and knowledge. It agrees with the initiatives undertaken by the Commission in this regard;

54. recommends setting up a knowledge-based fisheries cluster so that a dynamic, transparent and public structure can be set up, which would at the same time serve as a gateway for disseminating knowledge on EU fisheries;

Structural policy and public financial support

55. agrees that structural policy has generated unwanted side effects in the fisheries sector and has, in some cases, compounded structural problems rather than helping to solve them. It also agrees that reform must address the sector's structural deficiencies, while ensuring safeguards against any unwanted effects that run counter to the CFP;

56. recommends regulation of access to public aid in the same way as under the Common Agricultural Policy, by introducing the concept of conditionality. The objectives set as conditions would have to be met in order to receive financial aid, with penalties and repayments being regulated at the same time;

57. recommends the introduction of more selective and environmentally-friendly fishing practices. Efforts to deal with these problems must however take account of specific regional factors;

The external dimension

58. considers that the main objective under the external dimension of the CFP should be to establish economic and cooperative relations with third countries which are non-discriminatory and mutually beneficial from the point of view of sustainable and responsible fisheries;

59. agrees with the Commission's assessment that maintaining a Community fleet presence internationally has declined in importance;

60. welcomes the Commission's shift away from the ‘pay, fish and go’ principle to that of Fisheries Partnership Agreements (FPAs), based on a more global approach, which fosters cooperation, governance and the legal certainty of Community investment outside the EU. Fisheries agreements with non-EU countries must be kept as a tool to shape adjustments in the fisheries sector, and should include aquaculture, investment and cooperation as development tools;

61. appreciates the proposal to explore the possibility of bringing in regional forms of cooperation at a time when regional integration is being promoted as a tool for development;

62. emphasises that the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) are an ideal instrument for governance in the sector, and calls for them to have greater representation and decision-making weight, so as to meet specific criteria such as population or the number of EU countries;

63. views the adoption of international agreements as necessary to manage and control fishing in the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea and other maritime regions where third countries, in addition to EU Member States, have territorial waters, permitting balanced exploitation of resources in a highly biodiverse ecosystem that is clearly fragile;

64. supports the preparation of measures to introduce a more integrated control system combining existing supervisory and monitoring systems, especially in the Mediterranean. It therefore calls upon the Commission to launch an initial pilot project for the Mediterranean, which could subsequently be extended across Europe;

65. calls for better cooperation between the coastguard services of the Member States and of neighbouring non-EU countries;

COMMUNICATION ON BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR AQUACULTURE

General comments

66. welcomes the Communication Building a sustainable future for aquaculture (COM(2009) 162 final), giving new impetus to the Strategy for the Sustainable Development of European Aquaculture (COM(2002) 511 final), thanks to which the challenges – especially concerning the environmental sustainability of production and product quality and safety – of channelling the potential major development of this activity can be faced;

67. considers that Community aquaculture is helping to supply the Community market for fish products, which is marked by a growing shortfall on account of the shrinking contribution from fisheries and rising demand;

68. is aware of the socio-economic importance of aquaculture in certain regions, generating some 65 000 jobs and representing a turnover of more than EUR 3 billion;

69. agrees that aquaculture should continue to be promoted, and welcomes the initiatives on the part of the Commission, Council and Parliament to foster the sector's growth under the CFP;

70. agrees with the Commission on the limits to the continued growth of European aquaculture, such as access to the space needed for development, difficulty in obtaining licences, the fragmentation of what is still a relatively unorganised sector, and the numerous restrictions on access to capital, together with stringent Community rules, which constrain competition with Asian and South American producers;

71. welcomes the financial efforts made by the EU, via its structural policy, to encourage the sustainable development of aquaculture and proposes the definition of a ‘cross-compliance principle’ for the fisheries sector, establishing specific criteria: environmental, food safety, animal welfare, etc. In case of failing to comply these criteria access to public aid will be limited and/or prohibited;

Comments on the initiative

Building the future of the aquaculture sector

72. agrees that the EU must take a series of measures to facilitate the competitive development of the sector so it can meet the growing demand for fish that cannot be met by wild fish stocks;

73. agrees that the EU should take a lead role in the ‘blue revolution’, concerning both fish production and technology and innovation, while also setting up EU-level certification bodies to guarantee excellence in EU aquaculture production; takes the view that the EU should take the lead role in the development of ecological fish farming methods and only promote aquaculture in localities where it can be carried on in an ecologically sustainable way and where it can be guaranteed that the maritime environment will be preserved for the future;

74. applauds the Commission's initiative to establish an appropriate framework of policies and actions for the development of aquaculture, helping to remove bottlenecks in national legislation, especially as regards its establishment in coastal areas on an equal footing with other activities and the granting of permits, and smoothing the way forward for this strategic sector;

75. urges the Commission, together with the Member States, to prepare a roadmap for 2010 setting out the limits to the growth of aquaculture and identifying them by region, and to promote the introduction of technical reports under the IMP, of aquaculture development areas, and of the necessary port infrastructure;

76. calls for easier access to insurance policies to reassure and not undermine the frequently fragile economies of these producers;

Promoting competitiveness of aquaculture production

77. approves the creation of the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATIP), which will enable European aquaculture to maintain its world leadership and provide the sector with strategic R&D guidelines, promoting the search for sustainable fishing and aquaculture methods;

78. asks for the EATIP to be promoted as a forum to promote research and development aimed at finding sustainable fishing and aquaculture methods, and for it to form a network of individual national platforms for aquaculture, fisheries and oceanography to channel R&D concerns upwards from the grassroots and to disseminate innovation and emerging technologies back down to them;

79. highlights the importance of maritime spatial planning when providing areas and guidelines on the location of aquaculture. Proper spatial planning means that aquaculture growth can be programmed, its production potential assessed, conflict with other coastal or mainland users avoided, and synergies promoted between activities and environments in the zones that most depend on this type of activity, from an environmental, social, economic and market sustainability perspective;

80. supports the introduction and application of quality and informative labelling standards within the European area, together with international cooperation on labelling and certification;

81. agrees on the need to extend the international dimension of European aquaculture, and to pave the way for disease control plans ensuring safe production from the husbandry point of view;

82. calls for a financial effort commensurate with the challenges facing EU aquaculture and with the expectations it raises;

83. urges an analysis of maritime and fisheries training programmes and an assessment of medium-term needs. In this connection, it calls for a roadmap for the Member States, as part of a European framework of free movement of professionals, so that training in the sector can be stepped up and Europeans be made aware of aquaculture;

Establishing conditions for sustainable growth of aquaculture

84. shares the EU's commitment to ensuring compatibility between aquaculture and the environment, ensuring high-quality, healthy and safe food products, with measures to protect production areas in keeping with the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, which encourages the Member States to improve their aquatic environment by specific deadlines, and the IMP, and to taking action to control escapee developments;

85. considers that if aquaculture production is to grow sustainably, steps must be taken with regard to animal health and welfare, the availability of new veterinary medicines for the sector, and high-quality, environmentally acceptable feedstuffs for fish;

86. calls for a review of the state of implementation in the Member States of Directive 88/2006 on health requirements for aquaculture animals, and for the creation of a GIS on aquaculture production diseases around the world;

87. urges legislation to introduce a register of aquaculture businesses, providing public administrations with an up-to-date picture of aquaculture production, authorised seeding and its origins, density of seeding and health programmes in course;

88. considers it necessary to draw up protocols for applications and authorisations for immersion of juveniles, declarations of disease, notifications of escapes, information on production, evaluation of environmental surveillance programmes, and controls and health documents for movement of fish by road or vessel, as is already the case for other livestock species;

89. urges a greater financial commitment to: environmental controls in fish farms; the implementation of programmes to improve animal health; adjustments to aquaculture methods to enhance animal welfare; and research into veterinary medicines and into the use of alternative raw materials for manufacturing fish feedstuffs;

90. supports the idea of ensuring consumer health and recognising the health benefits of aquatic food;

Improving the sector's image and governance

91. supports the initiative to boost governance in the aquaculture sector as a means of improving its image, and to create a level playing field in the EU, conducive to the sustainable development of aquaculture. To this end, it suggests that the Commission draw up a guide for improving governance in the fisheries and aquaculture sector;

92. endorses the proposal for to implement EU legislation in a balanced way, and to disseminate knowledge of its instruments and facilitate their implementation, carrying forward administrative simplification procedures and those intended to reduce the administrative burden;

93. agrees with the Commission on the need to ensure adequate monitoring of activity in the aquaculture sector with reliable statistics, global and harmonised indicators and a public market prices network.

94. proposes that the Commission should set up an aquaculture evaluation and control unit within the European Fisheries Control Agency;

95. again emphasises the importance of professionalisation and training if a high level of governance is to be achieved;

96. is willing to serve as a forum and as a guarantor for ensuring public involvement and information on aquaculture issues, so as to contribute, alongside the Commission, to better governance in the aquaculture sector.