Debate: Conservation and enforcement measures applicable in the Regulatory Area of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation  - Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Area: conservation and management measures
Date: MONDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 2022
Speaker: Virginijus Sinkevičius
Language: EN

The main purpose of the Commission proposal regarding the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization is to implement into EU law the most recent conservation and enforcement measures adopted by this organisation at its annual meeting in September 2021. As you know, such transposition of updated measures by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization is a regular legislative exercise.  However, in addition, this Commission proposal includes delegated powers to the Commission concerning landing and inspection for Greenland halibut, as well as the control measures for cod in Division 3M. Such delegated powers are important in order to ensure a fast transposition into EU law of these technical rules that change every year. The adoption of this amending regulation will allow Union vessels to fish on the same footing as vessels from other contracting parties of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation for future fishing seasons.  This has been a recurrent request from many stakeholders across the EU, and I would like to thank the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs for their full support for the Commission proposal.  As regards the Commission proposal for a regulation for the Union Fleet operating in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Convention area, I believe that overall the amendments by the co-legislators improved the text. At the same time, those amendments are indeed in line with the organisation’s conservation and management measures.  However, I regret that the co-legislators missed the opportunity to simplify the overall process of transposition, since some of the avenues proposed by the Commission to streamline the process were not supported by the co—legislators, despite Parliament’s and Council’s earlier calls on the Commission to further improve the process. I obviously fully respect your positions, but I think we missed a good opportunity here to simplify the procedures, which are currently too complex and long.  The transposition process lasts on average 18 months – from the drafting of the proposal by the Commission to its adoption by the co-legislators. Considering the nature of this exercise, this is far too long and complicated. I would therefore like to ask for the inclusion of a statement on behalf of the Commission in the minutes of this debate reflecting our disappointment. The Commission will, in any case, continue to work together with the European Parliament and the Council on further improvements to the implementation of the process.  In this particular context, I would like to point to the two Commission proposals for the transposition of international fisheries conservation measures which are currently stalled in the interinstitutional negotiations. One proposal concerns the conservation of the Atlantic bluefin tuna management plan, and the other the Atlantic bluefin tuna catch documentation scheme.  I am concerned that such delays affect the credibility of the European Union in the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. It is indeed difficult to explain to our international partners why it takes so long for the EU to implement its international obligations. I am also concerned that the lack of transposition has negative consequences for the EU fishing fleet. We should really avoid this.  We trust that work will pick up in light of the most recent additional amendment proposed by the Commission in April this year and, of course, I look forward to seeing these two files advanced quickly. (in writing) “The European Parliament and the Council underlined on several occasions the need to further improve the process of implementation of conservation measures adopted by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), notably in a timely manner. The Commission regrets that its attempt to streamline the implementation process has not been fully retained by the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission will continue to work together with the European Parliament and the Council on further improvements to the implementation process.”