Debate: Small-scale fisheries situation in the EU and future perspectives
Date: WEDNESDAY, 18 JANUARY 2023
Speaker: Adina-Ioana Vălean
Language: EN

As you rightly recall in your report, the small—scale and coastal fishing fleet represents nearly 75% of all fishing vessels registered in the EU and nearly half of the employment in the fishing sector. This clearly shows the important socio—economic role of this sector in European coastal communities and the outermost regions.  Your report calls for a broader definition of small—scale and coastal fisheries in a horizontal piece of legislation, like the common fisheries policy. Due to the size of the sector, the geographic differences across Europe and differences in the type of fishing conducted, this would be a difficult task.  The existing specific references in the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund already facilitate access to EU funding for small—scale fisheries, while the references in the control regulation are specific to control needs. I agree with your draft report that small scale unfortunately often also means small voice in the value chain and in relation to other stakeholders.  I also agree that a large part of the solution lies in a better collective organisation of small—scale operators to have a more collective weight and a louder voice. This is why the Commission adopted the rules for the advisory councils in 2022 to ensure more participation of small—scale and coastal fisheries.  This is also the reason why the Commission strongly encourages Member States under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, as well as the new European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, to support collective organisation of producers, organisations and fisheries local action groups. I want to underline in this context that Member States have the possibility to provide preferential rates of support under the new EMFAF, and they should use this possibility.  Support can also be applied for the installation of storage, freezing and refrigeration infrastructure on small—scale vessels as long as they comply with the conditions for vessel modifications, as defined in the Regulation on the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund.  However, and here I need to be clear, the Commission cannot agree with establishing new criteria in relation to the fishing capacity. In most Member States, there is available capacity within the capacity ceilings set by the Common Fisheries Policy, and this could very well be used to increase the capacity of vessels in order to improve safety, living and working conditions on board or for more energy efficient propulsion systems. Again, our Fund foresees financial support here.  So, the Commission could not agree more with your report that young fishers need to be attracted to this important economic sector and that upgrading skills and training play a crucial role here. In this context, the financial support available must be pointed out again, and I would like to encourage Member States to use it.  We have taken careful note also of the other proposals contained in your report to improve the situation of small—scale and coastal fishers who are indeed part of Europe’s fishing and maritime heritage. The Commission will carefully examine them. But my main message today is that the Commission fully supports all initiatives to strengthen the role of small—scale and coastal fishers in parallel to our continuous and joint efforts to further reduce the environmental impact of those fisheries.  I thank you for your attention. I look forward to hearing your views. I gave you the message of my colleague Commissioner Sinkevičius, of course, but everything you will say will be duly noted, and I will pass your message to him.