European Parliament Committee on Fisheries

Highlights - Public hearing: Decarbonising EU fisheries and aquaculture - Committee on Fisheries

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 26, 2023

Public hearing: Decarbonising EU fisheries and aquaculture

Key Points: 
  • Public hearing: Decarbonising EU fisheries and aquaculture
    25-10-2023 - 16:21
    On Tuesday, 24 October 2023, the Committee on Fisheries held a public hearing entitled "Decarbonisation of fisheries and aquaculture".
  • The objective of this hearing is to listen to various stakeholders on the way to overcome existing regulatory and technical obstacles to provide attractive operational solutions to the fisheries sector, while supporting the transition towards decarbonisation.
  • The Commission recently published a 'fisheries and oceans' package, which includes an action plan on decarbonising EU fisheries and aquaculture, presented to PECH Committee on 1 March and 26 April.
  • On 16 June the Commission launched an energy transition partnership for EU fisheries and aquaculture (ETP) involving stakeholders (industry, shipbuilders, ports, energy providers, research centres, governmental authorities, national institutions, non-governmental organisations and the general public).

Highlights - Public hearing: The implementation of the Eel Regulation 1100/2007 - Committee on Fisheries

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, June 18, 2023

Public hearing: The implementation of the Eel Regulation 1100/2007

Key Points: 
  • Public hearing: The implementation of the Eel Regulation 1100/2007
    18-06-2023 - 12:08
    On Tuesday, 27 June 2023, the Committee on Fisheries will hold a public hearing entitled "The implementation of the Eel Regulation 1100/2007".
  • The hearing would provide evidence and guidance for better implementation of the Eel Regulation.
  • European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a migratory species with a unique life cycle.
  • Between their spawning phase and pre-reproductive stage, European eel migrate from the Northwest Atlantic to the coasts of their distribution range and continental waters.

Highlights - Public hearing - Committee on Fisheries

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Public hearing

Key Points: 
  • Public hearing
    17-01-2023 - 11:54
    On 23 January 2023, the Committee on Fisheries will hold a hearing on the implementation of the State of play of the Multiannual Plan (MAP) for the Baltic Sea, which has been the first MAP adopted back in 2016.
  • The purpose of the hearing is to evaluate and to assess if the multiannual management plan has been helpful in protecting some vulnerable stocks.
  • It will also look at other factors that contribute to the bad state of the Baltic Sea and its commercial fish stocks, such as pollution and eutrophication.
  • It will also look at other factors that contribute to the bad state of the Baltic Sea and its commercial fish stocks, such as pollution and eutrophication.

Press release - €6.1 billion to promote sustainable fisheries and safeguard fishing communities

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 6, 2021

The new European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), adopted on Tuesday, encourages member states to invest in making the fisheries and aquaculture sectors more competitive and helping develop a sustainable blue economy, new markets and technologies.

Key Points: 
  • The new European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), adopted on Tuesday, encourages member states to invest in making the fisheries and aquaculture sectors more competitive and helping develop a sustainable blue economy, new markets and technologies.
  • The EU fleet lost important fishing grounds because of Brexit, the seafood value chain was paralysed because of the pandemic, and there was pressure to reach an agreement in the WTO on fisheries subsidies.
  • "Next stepsThe regulation will enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
  • The previous EMFF budget covering 2014 to 2020 amounted to 6.4 billion EUR.

RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024) - A9-0024/2020

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 18, 2020

for the Committee on Fisheries on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024) (08662/1/2019 C90004/2019 2019/0078(NLE)) Rapporteur for opinion: Catherine Chabaud SHORT JUSTIFICATION The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement concluded between the European Union and Cape Verde in 2006 is a tuna agreement.

Key Points: 
  • for the Committee on Fisheries on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024) (08662/1/2019 C90004/2019 2019/0078(NLE)) Rapporteur for opinion: Catherine Chabaud SHORT JUSTIFICATION The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement concluded between the European Union and Cape Verde in 2006 is a tuna agreement.
  • The previous protocol, concluded for a period of four years, expired in December 2018.
  • The financial contribution allocated to the new protocol is EUR 750 000 per annum.
  • ****** The Committee on Development calls on the Committee on Fisheries, as the committee responsible, to recommend approval of the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024).
  • PROCEDURE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION Title Conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024)

REPORT containing a motion for a non-legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (20[...]

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 18, 2020

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024) (08662/2019 C90004/2019 2019/0078M(NLE)) The European Parliament, having regard to the draft Council decision (08662/2019), having regard to the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024) (08668/2019), having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article43(2), Article218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), and Article218(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (C9-0004/2019), having regard to its legislative resolution of ... 2020[1] on the draft decision, having regard to Article 31(4) of Regulation (EU) No1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)[2], having regard to its resolution of 12 April 2016 on common rules in respect of application of the external dimension of the CFP, including fisheries agreements[3], having regard to the final report of February 2018 entitled Ex-post and Ex-ante evaluation study of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cabo Verde, having regard to Rule105(2) of its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Development, having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A9-0023/2020), A.whereas the Commission and the Government of Cape Verde have negotiated a new sustainable fisheries partnership agreement (EU-Cape Verde SFPA), together with an implementing protocol, for a five-year period; B.whereas the overall aim of the EU-Cape Verde SFPA is to increase fisheries cooperation between the EU and Cape Verde, in the interests of both parties, by promoting a sustainable fisheries policy and sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in the Cape Verde exclusive economic zone (EEZ); C.whereas the uptake of fishing opportunities under the previous EU-Cape Verde SFPA has ranged from 58% to 68%, with a good use for seiners and a moderate use for longliners and pole and line vessels; D.whereas sharks constitute 20% of catches, but the lack of scientific data means that the total figure may not be accurate and could be much higher; E.whereas the EU-Cape Verde SFPA should promote more effective sustainable development of the Cape Verdean fishing communities and of related industries and activities, including fisheries science; whereas the support to be provided under the Protocol has to be consistent with the national development plans and the Blue Growth Action Plan for development within ecological limits, devised with the United Nations to increase production in, and professionalise, the sector in order to meet the local populations food and employment needs; F.whereas the EUs commitments under international agreements should also be supported under the SFPA, namely the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 14, and whereas all EU actions, including the SFPA, must contribute to those objectives; G.whereas the EU, through the European Development Fund, is contributing a multiannual budget of EUR55million to Cape Verde, focusing on one main sector, namely the Good Governance and Development Contract (GGDC); H.whereas the SFPA should contribute to the promotion and development of the Cape Verdean fisheries sector and whereas basic infrastructure, such as ports, landing sites, storage facilities and processing plants, needs to be built or renovated; I.whereas Parliament must be immediately and fully informed, at all stages, of the procedures relating to the Protocol and its renewal; 1.Takes the view that the EU-Cape Verde SFPA should pursue two equally important goals: (1) to provide fishing opportunities for EU vessels in the Cape Verde EEZ, on the basis of the best available scientific knowledge and advice and without interfering with conservation and management measures by the regional organisations to which Cape Verde belongs notably the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) or overrunning the available surplus; and (2) to promote further economic, financial, technical and scientific cooperation between the EU and Cape Verde in the field of sustainable fisheries and sound exploitation of fishery resources in the Cape Verde EEZ, while at the same time not undermining Cape Verdes sovereign options and strategies relating to its own development; considers, at the same time and in the light of the high value of marine biology in Cape Verdean waters, that the agreement should guarantee the adoption of measures to mitigate accidental fishing by EU vessels in the Cape Verde EEZ; 2.Takes the view that measures should be taken to guarantee that the reference tonnage stipulated in the agreement is not exceeded; 3.Draws attention to the findings of the retrospective and prospective assessments of the Protocol to the EU-Cape Verde 2014-2018 SFPA, produced in May 2018, which stated that the Protocol had on the whole proved to be effective, efficient, appropriate to the interests involved, and consistent with the Cape Verdean sectoral policy, with a high degree of acceptability to stakeholders, and which recommended the option of concluding a new protocol; emphasises that there is scope for more effective progress in terms of fisheries cooperation between the EU and Cape Verde and considers that the new protocol should therefore go beyond previous protocols in the implementation of this agreement, in particular with regard to development support for the Cape Verdean fisheries sector; 4.Supports the need for significant progress in the development of the Cape Verdean fisheries sector, including the fishing industry and related activities, and calls on the Commission to take all necessary measures, including a possible revision and the bolstering of the sectoral support component of the agreement, along with the creation of conditions to increase the absorption rate of this support; 5.Considers that the EU-Cape Verde SFPA will not achieve its objectives if it does not contribute to increasing added value in Cape Verde as a result of the exploitation of its fishery resources; 6.Maintains that the EU-Cape Verde SFPA and the Protocol thereto have to be aligned with the national development plans and the Blue Growth Plan for the development within ecological limits of the Cape Verdean fisheries sector, which are priority areas for EU support and for which the necessary technical and financial assistance must be mobilised, and specifically should: strengthen institutional capacity and improve governance: drafting legislation, building on management plans and supporting the implementation of said legislation and management plans; tighten up monitoring, control and surveillance in the Cape Verde EEZ and surrounding areas; strengthen measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, including in inland waters; strengthen partnerships with other countries interested in fishing activity in the Cape Verdes EEZ, namely by means of fisheries agreements, and ensure transparency by publishing any content thereof, and by establishing a regional programme to train and use observers; support the establishment and improvement of a data collection programme that enables Cape Verdean authorities to understand the resources available and support the scientific assessment of resources, resulting in decision-making based on the best available scientific knowledge; enable the construction and/or renovation of key infrastructure for fisheries and related activities, such as landing quays and ports (both industrial and artisanal, for example at the port of Mindelo, So Vicente island), sites for storing and processing fish, markets, distribution and marketing infrastructure, and quality analysis laboratories; support and improve working conditions for all workers, in particular for women in all fishing-related activities, including not only commercialisation but also transformation, fisheries management and science; support the scientific knowledge necessary for the establishment of marine-protected areas, including their implementation, monitoring and control; limit bycatches of sensitive species, such as marine turtles; enable the reinforcement of organisations representing men and women in the fishing industry, especially those involved in small-scale artisanal fisheries, thereby helping to strengthen technical, management and negotiating capabilities; serve to set up and/or refurbish basic and vocational training centres, thereby raising the skill levels of fishers, seafarers and women in the fisheries sector and other blue economy-associated activities; strengthen measures to encourage young people to engage in fishing; enhance scientific research capabilities and the ability to monitor fishery resources and the marine environment; improve the sustainability of marine resources overall; 7.Welcomes the fact that the agreement does not concern small pelagic fish that are of great importance for the local population and for which there is no surplus; 8.Expresses its concern about the potentially detrimental impact of fishing activities on the shark population in the Cape Verde EEZ; 9.Considers that a more detailed evaluation of the benefits that the implementation of the Protocol brings to local economies (employment, infrastructure, social improvements) is necessary; 10.Considers it desirable to improve the quantity and accuracy of data on all catches (target species and bycatches), on the conservation status of fishery resources and on the impact of fishing activity in the marine environment, and to improve the implementation of sectoral support funding in order to enable a more exact assessment of the impact of the agreement on the marine ecosystem, fishing resources and local communities, including its social and economic impact; 11.Considers that, in the light of the possible closure of or placing of restrictions on fisheries, local fishing needs should be addressed first, on the basis of sound scientific advice, in order to ensure that resources are sustainable; 12.Calls on the Commission and the Cape Verdean authorities to improve data collection on and the monitoring of stocks in the context of overfishing, with a particular focus on sharks; 13.Calls on the Commission and the Member States, in their cooperation and official development assistance policies centring on Cape Verde, to bear in mind that the European Development Fund and the sectoral support laid down in this SFPA should complement each other in order to contribute to the strengthening of the local fisheries sector and to ensure that the country has full sovereignty over its own resources; calls on the Commission to facilitate, through the European Development Fund and other relevant instruments, the necessary steps for the provision of infrastructure which, by reason of its scale and cost, cannot be built solely by means of sectoral support within the framework of the SFPA, for example fishing ports (both industrial and artisanal); 14.Supports the need to increase the contribution of the SFPA to the local creation of direct and indirect jobs, either on vessels operating under the SFPA or in fishing activities, both upstream and downstream; considers that the Member States can play a key role and an active part in capacity-building and training efforts to this end; 15.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to further strengthen their cooperation with Cape Verde, to evaluate possibilities for enhancing future development assistance, primarily under the new Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) proposed as part of the EUs budget for 2021-2027, and particularly taking into account the good use of EU funds in Cape Verde and the countrys political stability in a complex geopolitical context, which must be supported and rewarded; 16.Calls on the Commission to urge the Republic of Cape Verde to use the financial contribution provided by the Protocol to strengthen its national fisheries industry in the long term, encourage demand for local investment and industrial projects, and encourage the growth of a sustainable blue economy, thereby creating local jobs and boosting the attractiveness of fishing activities to young generations; 17.Calls on the Commission to send to Parliament and make publicly available the minutes and conclusions of the meetings of the Joint Committee provided for in Article 9 of the agreement and the findings of the annual evaluations; calls on the Commission to enable representatives of Parliament to attend Joint Committee meetings as observers and to encourage the participation of Cape Verdean fishing communities and associated stakeholders; 18.Considers that information should be compiled on the benefits that implementation of the Protocol bringsto local economies (employment, infrastructure, social improvements); 19.Calls on the Commission and the Council, acting within the limits of their powers, to keep Parliament immediately and fully informed at every stage of the procedures relating to the Protocol and, if applicable, of its renewal, pursuant to Article13(2) of the Treaty on European Union and Article218(10) of the TFEU; 20.Draws the attention of the Commission, and particularly the Council, to the fact that persisting in proceeding with the provisional application of international agreements before Parliament has given its consent is not compatible with the guiding principles of the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making, that this practice greatly diminishes Parliaments status as the only directly democratically elected EU institution, and that it also damages the democratic credentials of the EU as a whole; 21.Calls on the Commission to better integrate the recommendations made in the EU-Cape Verde SFPA and to take them into account, for instance, in the procedures for the renewal of the Protocol; 22.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Cape Verde.

Key Points: 
  • on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024) (08662/2019 C90004/2019 2019/0078M(NLE)) The European Parliament, having regard to the draft Council decision (08662/2019), having regard to the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024) (08668/2019), having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article43(2), Article218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), and Article218(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (C9-0004/2019), having regard to its legislative resolution of ... 2020[1] on the draft decision, having regard to Article 31(4) of Regulation (EU) No1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)[2], having regard to its resolution of 12 April 2016 on common rules in respect of application of the external dimension of the CFP, including fisheries agreements[3], having regard to the final report of February 2018 entitled Ex-post and Ex-ante evaluation study of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Cabo Verde, having regard to Rule105(2) of its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Development, having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A9-0023/2020), A.whereas the Commission and the Government of Cape Verde have negotiated a new sustainable fisheries partnership agreement (EU-Cape Verde SFPA), together with an implementing protocol, for a five-year period; B.whereas the overall aim of the EU-Cape Verde SFPA is to increase fisheries cooperation between the EU and Cape Verde, in the interests of both parties, by promoting a sustainable fisheries policy and sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in the Cape Verde exclusive economic zone (EEZ); C.whereas the uptake of fishing opportunities under the previous EU-Cape Verde SFPA has ranged from 58% to 68%, with a good use for seiners and a moderate use for longliners and pole and line vessels; D.whereas sharks constitute 20% of catches, but the lack of scientific data means that the total figure may not be accurate and could be much higher; E.whereas the EU-Cape Verde SFPA should promote more effective sustainable development of the Cape Verdean fishing communities and of related industries and activities, including fisheries science; whereas the support to be provided under the Protocol has to be consistent with the national development plans and the Blue Growth Action Plan for development within ecological limits, devised with the United Nations to increase production in, and professionalise, the sector in order to meet the local populations food and employment needs; F.whereas the EUs commitments under international agreements should also be supported under the SFPA, namely the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 14, and whereas all EU actions, including the SFPA, must contribute to those objectives; G.whereas the EU, through the European Development Fund, is contributing a multiannual budget of EUR55million to Cape Verde, focusing on one main sector, namely the Good Governance and Development Contract (GGDC); H.whereas the SFPA should contribute to the promotion and development of the Cape Verdean fisheries sector and whereas basic infrastructure, such as ports, landing sites, storage facilities and processing plants, needs to be built or renovated; I.whereas Parliament must be immediately and fully informed, at all stages, of the procedures relating to the Protocol and its renewal; 1.Takes the view that the EU-Cape Verde SFPA should pursue two equally important goals: (1) to provide fishing opportunities for EU vessels in the Cape Verde EEZ, on the basis of the best available scientific knowledge and advice and without interfering with conservation and management measures by the regional organisations to which Cape Verde belongs notably the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) or overrunning the available surplus; and (2) to promote further economic, financial, technical and scientific cooperation between the EU and Cape Verde in the field of sustainable fisheries and sound exploitation of fishery resources in the Cape Verde EEZ, while at the same time not undermining Cape Verdes sovereign options and strategies relating to its own development; considers, at the same time and in the light of the high value of marine biology in Cape Verdean waters, that the agreement should guarantee the adoption of measures to mitigate accidental fishing by EU vessels in the Cape Verde EEZ; 2.Takes the view that measures should be taken to guarantee that the reference tonnage stipulated in the agreement is not exceeded; 3.Draws attention to the findings of the retrospective and prospective assessments of the Protocol to the EU-Cape Verde 2014-2018 SFPA, produced in May 2018, which stated that the Protocol had on the whole proved to be effective, efficient, appropriate to the interests involved, and consistent with the Cape Verdean sectoral policy, with a high degree of acceptability to stakeholders, and which recommended the option of concluding a new protocol; emphasises that there is scope for more effective progress in terms of fisheries cooperation between the EU and Cape Verde and considers that the new protocol should therefore go beyond previous protocols in the implementation of this agreement, in particular with regard to development support for the Cape Verdean fisheries sector; 4.Supports the need for significant progress in the development of the Cape Verdean fisheries sector, including the fishing industry and related activities, and calls on the Commission to take all necessary measures, including a possible revision and the bolstering of the sectoral support component of the agreement, along with the creation of conditions to increase the absorption rate of this support; 5.Considers that the EU-Cape Verde SFPA will not achieve its objectives if it does not contribute to increasing added value in Cape Verde as a result of the exploitation of its fishery resources; 6.Maintains that the EU-Cape Verde SFPA and the Protocol thereto have to be aligned with the national development plans and the Blue Growth Plan for the development within ecological limits of the Cape Verdean fisheries sector, which are priority areas for EU support and for which the necessary technical and financial assistance must be mobilised, and specifically should: strengthen institutional capacity and improve governance: drafting legislation, building on management plans and supporting the implementation of said legislation and management plans; tighten up monitoring, control and surveillance in the Cape Verde EEZ and surrounding areas; strengthen measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, including in inland waters; strengthen partnerships with other countries interested in fishing activity in the Cape Verdes EEZ, namely by means of fisheries agreements, and ensure transparency by publishing any content thereof, and by establishing a regional programme to train and use observers; support the establishment and improvement of a data collection programme that enables Cape Verdean authorities to understand the resources available and support the scientific assessment of resources, resulting in decision-making based on the best available scientific knowledge; enable the construction and/or renovation of key infrastructure for fisheries and related activities, such as landing quays and ports (both industrial and artisanal, for example at the port of Mindelo, So Vicente island), sites for storing and processing fish, markets, distribution and marketing infrastructure, and quality analysis laboratories; support and improve working conditions for all workers, in particular for women in all fishing-related activities, including not only commercialisation but also transformation, fisheries management and science; support the scientific knowledge necessary for the establishment of marine-protected areas, including their implementation, monitoring and control; limit bycatches of sensitive species, such as marine turtles; enable the reinforcement of organisations representing men and women in the fishing industry, especially those involved in small-scale artisanal fisheries, thereby helping to strengthen technical, management and negotiating capabilities; serve to set up and/or refurbish basic and vocational training centres, thereby raising the skill levels of fishers, seafarers and women in the fisheries sector and other blue economy-associated activities; strengthen measures to encourage young people to engage in fishing; enhance scientific research capabilities and the ability to monitor fishery resources and the marine environment; improve the sustainability of marine resources overall; 7.Welcomes the fact that the agreement does not concern small pelagic fish that are of great importance for the local population and for which there is no surplus; 8.Expresses its concern about the potentially detrimental impact of fishing activities on the shark population in the Cape Verde EEZ; 9.Considers that a more detailed evaluation of the benefits that the implementation of the Protocol brings to local economies (employment, infrastructure, social improvements) is necessary; 10.Considers it desirable to improve the quantity and accuracy of data on all catches (target species and bycatches), on the conservation status of fishery resources and on the impact of fishing activity in the marine environment, and to improve the implementation of sectoral support funding in order to enable a more exact assessment of the impact of the agreement on the marine ecosystem, fishing resources and local communities, including its social and economic impact; 11.Considers that, in the light of the possible closure of or placing of restrictions on fisheries, local fishing needs should be addressed first, on the basis of sound scientific advice, in order to ensure that resources are sustainable; 12.Calls on the Commission and the Cape Verdean authorities to improve data collection on and the monitoring of stocks in the context of overfishing, with a particular focus on sharks; 13.Calls on the Commission and the Member States, in their cooperation and official development assistance policies centring on Cape Verde, to bear in mind that the European Development Fund and the sectoral support laid down in this SFPA should complement each other in order to contribute to the strengthening of the local fisheries sector and to ensure that the country has full sovereignty over its own resources; calls on the Commission to facilitate, through the European Development Fund and other relevant instruments, the necessary steps for the provision of infrastructure which, by reason of its scale and cost, cannot be built solely by means of sectoral support within the framework of the SFPA, for example fishing ports (both industrial and artisanal); 14.Supports the need to increase the contribution of the SFPA to the local creation of direct and indirect jobs, either on vessels operating under the SFPA or in fishing activities, both upstream and downstream; considers that the Member States can play a key role and an active part in capacity-building and training efforts to this end; 15.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to further strengthen their cooperation with Cape Verde, to evaluate possibilities for enhancing future development assistance, primarily under the new Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) proposed as part of the EUs budget for 2021-2027, and particularly taking into account the good use of EU funds in Cape Verde and the countrys political stability in a complex geopolitical context, which must be supported and rewarded; 16.Calls on the Commission to urge the Republic of Cape Verde to use the financial contribution provided by the Protocol to strengthen its national fisheries industry in the long term, encourage demand for local investment and industrial projects, and encourage the growth of a sustainable blue economy, thereby creating local jobs and boosting the attractiveness of fishing activities to young generations; 17.Calls on the Commission to send to Parliament and make publicly available the minutes and conclusions of the meetings of the Joint Committee provided for in Article 9 of the agreement and the findings of the annual evaluations; calls on the Commission to enable representatives of Parliament to attend Joint Committee meetings as observers and to encourage the participation of Cape Verdean fishing communities and associated stakeholders; 18.Considers that information should be compiled on the benefits that implementation of the Protocol bringsto local economies (employment, infrastructure, social improvements); 19.Calls on the Commission and the Council, acting within the limits of their powers, to keep Parliament immediately and fully informed at every stage of the procedures relating to the Protocol and, if applicable, of its renewal, pursuant to Article13(2) of the Treaty on European Union and Article218(10) of the TFEU; 20.Draws the attention of the Commission, and particularly the Council, to the fact that persisting in proceeding with the provisional application of international agreements before Parliament has given its consent is not compatible with the guiding principles of the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making, that this practice greatly diminishes Parliaments status as the only directly democratically elected EU institution, and that it also damages the democratic credentials of the EU as a whole; 21.Calls on the Commission to better integrate the recommendations made in the EU-Cape Verde SFPA and to take them into account, for instance, in the procedures for the renewal of the Protocol; 22.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Cape Verde.
  • for the Committee on Fisheries on a motion for a non-legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024) Rapporteur for opinion: Catherine Chabaud SUGGESTIONS The Committee on Development calls on the Committee on Fisheries, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution: 1.Notes that, in a context of overfishing, while the European Union is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 14 (on conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development), the new reference tonnage represents an increase of 60% in comparison with the current protocol; calls, therefore, for very careful monitoring of stocks, with particular attention to pelagic sharks, whose vulnerability is stressed by scientists; 2.Calls for the use of measures to reduce bycatches to be obligatory for the European Union's long-distance fleet and explicitly stated in all sustainable fisheries partnership agreements; 3.Calls on the Commission and Cape Verde to provide more detailed information about the cumulative effects that the various fisheries agreements in force in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) concerned have on the resource, and about the development of industrial fishing activities in the region; 4.Considers that, in view of the many challenges facing Cape Verde, this Protocol and the financial contribution should contribute to the following priorities: promoting a sustainable blue economy by supporting small-scale local fisheries, the cold chain, the modernisation of port infrastructure, food hygiene and safety and the strengthening of the position of women and young people in local fisheries, who play an important part in marketing and processing; supporting artisanal fishing and involving local fishing communities more in determining initiatives to be carried out by way of sectoral support, for example by providing support in the form of training; improving scientific knowledge and cooperation in this ocean region by enabling local scientists to travel on board vessels operating in this area, in view of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), so as to make the local population aware of this knowledge and its use; fostering local economic development and strengthening coastal communities dependent on marine resources; participating in ambitious European Union and Cape Verde contributions to the International Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development; in the context of support for the sector, stepping up monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries, thus preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, notably by improving governance, capacity building and training on this matter in cooperation with the local administration, but also supporting the introduction of innovative surveillance techniques such as satellite-based vessel monitoring systems, particularly on small islands which have to manage fishing activities within the 200 miles that make up their EEZ; enabling the Union and the Republic of Cape Verde, in accordance with the objective of the Protocol, to work more closely on promoting a sustainable fisheries policy and on the responsible exploitation of fisheries resources in Cape Verde waters, preventing all forms of overexploitation in Cape Verde's EEZ; combating pollution by supporting the collection of plastics by local fishermen; 5.Calls for transparency regarding the use of EU sectoral funding in order to allow for better monitoring; calls, therefore, for closer cooperation between the various Commission departments concerned and suggests that the EU delegation to Cape Verde could contribute to the monitoring of this protocol; 6.Recalls that transparent scientific data should always form the basis for any decisions made at EU level concerning the Protocol's renewal in order for the Union to be able to fulfil its environmental commitments; 7.Insists that this agreement should be adapted to Cape Verdes needs and priorities, notably those outlined in Cape Verdes Blue Economy Plan; 8.Calls on the Commission to ensure that the enlarged pan-African political framework for fisheries sustainable fisheries partnership agreements clearly arranges for as many stakeholders (civil society, local fishing communities, scientists) as possible, from both parties, to be involved in the talks and in implementing the Protocol; 9.Recommends that this agreement be brought into line with other programmes, financed by other donors such as the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations or the African Development Bank, to prevent duplication and to ensure public awareness of the different financing sources for different projects.
  • 10.Recalls that marine resources cross borders; therefore calls, with a view to bolstering regional and global strategies for fisheries governance with third countries, for the cumulative effect of the fisheries agreements concluded with countries in the region to be taken into account.
  • PROCEDURE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION Title Conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cape Verde (2019-2024)

REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018 - A9-0041/2020

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 18, 2020

on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018 (2019/2085(DEC)) The European Parliament, having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018, having regard to the Court of Auditors annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2018, together with the Agencys reply[1], having regard to the statement of assurance[2] as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2018, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to the Councils recommendation of 18 February 2020 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2018 (05761/2020 C90052/2020), having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002[3], and in particular Article 208 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012[4], and in particular Article 70 thereof, having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 768/2005 of 26 April 2005 establishing a Community Fisheries Control Agency and amending Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy[5], and in particular Article 36 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/473 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 on the European Fisheries Control Agency[6], and in particular Article 45 thereof; having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013 of 30September 2013 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 208 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council[7], and in particular Article 108 thereof, having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council7, and in particular Article105 thereof, having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Fisheries, having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0041/2020), 1.Grants the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agencys budget for the financial year 2018; 2.Sets out its observations in the resolution below; 3.Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).

Key Points: 
  • on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018 (2019/2085(DEC)) The European Parliament, having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018, having regard to the Court of Auditors annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2018, together with the Agencys reply[1], having regard to the statement of assurance[2] as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2018, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to the Councils recommendation of 18 February 2020 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2018 (05761/2020 C90052/2020), having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002[3], and in particular Article 208 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012[4], and in particular Article 70 thereof, having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 768/2005 of 26 April 2005 establishing a Community Fisheries Control Agency and amending Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy[5], and in particular Article 36 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/473 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 on the European Fisheries Control Agency[6], and in particular Article 45 thereof; having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013 of 30September 2013 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 208 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council[7], and in particular Article 108 thereof, having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council7, and in particular Article105 thereof, having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Fisheries, having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0041/2020), 1.Grants the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agencys budget for the financial year 2018; 2.Sets out its observations in the resolution below; 3.Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the resolution forming an integral part of it, to the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).
  • on the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018 (2019/2085(DEC)) The European Parliament, having regard to the final annual accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018, having regard to the Court of Auditors annual report on EU agencies for the financial year 2018, together with the Agencys reply[8], having regard to the statement of assurance[9] as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2018, pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to the Councils recommendation of 18 February 2020 on discharge to be given to the Agency in respect of the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2018 (05761/2020 C90052/2020), having regard to Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002[10], and in particular Article 208 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012[11], and in particular Article 70 thereof, having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 768/2005 of 26 April 2005 establishing a Community Fisheries Control Agency and amending Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy[12], and in particular Article 36 thereof, having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/473 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 on the European Fisheries Control Agency[13], and in particular Article 45 thereof; having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013 of 30September 2013 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 208 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council[14], and in particular Article 108 thereof, having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council7, and in particular Article105 thereof, having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Fisheries, having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0041/2020), 1.Approves the closure of the accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018; 2.Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).
  • with observations forming an integral part of the decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018 (2019/2085(DEC)) The European Parliament, having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the financial year 2018, having regard to Rule 100 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Fisheries, having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A9-0041/2020), A.whereas, according to its statement of revenue and expenditure[15], the final budget of the European Fisheries Control Agency (the Agency) for the financial year 2018 was EUR17408849, representing an increase of 1,73% compared to 2017; whereas the budget of the Agency derives mainly from the Union budget[16]; B.whereas the Court of Auditors (the Court), in its report on the Agencys annual accounts for the financial year 2018 (the Courts report), stated that it had obtained reasonable assurances that the Agencys annual accounts for the financial year 2018 are reliable and that the underlying transactions are legal and regular; Budget and financial management 1.Notes with satisfaction that budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2018 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 99,74%, representing a slight increase of 0,83% compared to 2017; notes with satisfaction that the payment appropriations execution rate was at 87,62%, representing an increase of 13,81% compared to 2017; Performance 2.Notes that the Agency uses a number of key performance indicators to support its multiannual strategic objectives and to assess the added value provided by its activities; 3.Notes that the Agency implemented 98% of its activities on time and that it implemented 100% of its annual communication strategy plan; 4.Notes that the Agency, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the European Maritime Safety Agency adopted a tripartite working arrangement defining the cooperation between those agencies and the cooperation with national authorities carrying out coast guard functions by providing services, information, equipment and training, as well as by coordinating multipurpose operations; 5.Encourages the Agency to pursue the digitalisation of its services 6.Takes note of the fact that the results of the second Five Year Independent External Evaluation of the Agency for the period 2012 to 2016 were presented in 2017; notes with satisfaction that, at the end of 2018, one recommendation was closed and ten recommendations were progressing in line with the roadmap presented to the administrative board; 7.Considers that the role of the Agency in promoting the creation of Frontex should not undermine the Agencys core activity as the Union body responsible for organising operational coordination of fisheries control activities and providing assistance in that area to the Member States and the Commission, as this could lead to the weakening of fisheries surveillance and an increase in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; therefore stresses the need to provide the Agency with adequate financial and human resources commensurate with its growing tasks; 8.Highlights the fact that the Agency adopted, in June 2018, a decision on the publication of information on meetings with organisations or self-employed individuals and that, following the agreement between Parliament and the Commission on the transparency register, the Agency will publish the relevant executive director and staff meetings with lobbyists on the Agencys website; 9.Notes that, following preparatory work in 2017, the Agency implemented in 2018 an information security management system based on the international standard ISO 27001 aiming to protect the Agency from technology-based risks and preserving the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information; 10.Highlights the active role and added value provided by the Agency in the improved regional fisheries governance in western Africa (PESCAO) project to develop capacities to combat IUU fishing activities and to improve the management of fisheries resources in West Africa; highlights the three operations carried out in 2018, involving Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde and Mauritania; 11.Stresses the importance of the Agencys role in the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and the achievement of its objectives, in particular with regard to the landing obligation, as Member States are facing difficulties in complying with this obligation; Staff policy 12.Notes that, on 31 December 2018, the establishment plan was 98,36% executed, with 60 Temporary Agents (TAs) appointed out of 61 TAs authorised under the Union budget (compared to 61 authorised posts in 2017); notes that in addition 11 contract agents and six seconded national experts have been working for the Agency in 2018; 13.Encourages the Agency to develop a long term human resources policy framework which addresses the work-life balance of its staff, the lifelong guidance and career development, the gender balance, the teleworking, the non-discrimination, the geographical balance and the recruitment and integration of people with disabilities; 14.Notes with concern the lack of gender balance on the management board (47 men and 21 women); Procurement 15.Highlights that the main procurement activity in 2018 was focused on launching the two open calls respectively to acquire travel agency and event organisation services for the Agency and for the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work ; 16.Welcomes that, following the objective of Union agencies of sharing procurement efforts, the Agency launched its second inter-institutional open call for tender in 2018 and that two other agencies joined that procurement procedure; calls on the Agency to report to the discharge authority on future developments regarding its joint procurement procedures; regards this practise as an example worth following; encourages the Agency to further explore possibilities of streamlining procedures with other institutions; 17.Notes from the Courts report that the Agency did not systematically check prices and uplifts charged with suppliers quotes and invoices issued to the framework contractor for the acquisition of software licences; notes from the Agencys reply that it has no possibility to change the conditions and provisions of the framework contract signed by the Commission and that it will implement the new framework contract to address the issues raised concerning the old contract; Prevention and management of conflicts of interests and transparency 18.Acknowledges the Agencys existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency, prevention and management of conflicts of interests, and whistleblower protection; notes with satisfaction that experts who do not sign a declaration of interests are not permitted to work under a specific contract and that the Agency monitors regularly the submission of the declarations; 19.Notes that in 2018, the Commissions internal audit service issued an audit report on Planning, Budgeting and Monitoring in the Agency and that an action plan for potential areas of improvement was agreed; calls on the Agency to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken; Other comments 20.Notes that the Agency has initiated a process in order to be certified in EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and has taken a series of measures aiming to reduce its overall impact on the environment; points out, however, that the Agency does not have any additional measures in place to reduce or offset CO2 emissions; 21.Calls upon the Agency to focus on disseminating the results of its research to the general public, and to reach out to public via the social media and other media outlets; o o o

REPORT containing a motion for a non-legislative resolution on the draft Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau [...]

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 25, 2020

on the draft Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (2019-2024) (08928/2019 C90011/2019 2019/0090M(NLE)) The European Parliament, having regard to the draft Council Decision (08928/2019), having regard to the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (08894/2019) (the Protocol), having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 43, Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), and Article 218(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C9-0011/2019), -having regard to Article 31(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC ( Common Fisheries Policy)[1], -having regard to its resolution of 12 April 2016 on common rules in respect of application of the external dimension of the CFP, including fisheries agreements[2], having regard to its legislative resolution of ...[3] on the proposal for a decision, having regard to Rule 105(2) of its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Development, having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A9-0013/2020), A.whereas the overall objective of the EU-Guinea Bissau sustainable fisheries partnership agreement (SFPA) is to enhance fisheries cooperation between the EU and Guinea-Bissau, in the interests of both parties, by promoting a sustainable fisheries policy and the sound and sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in Guinea-Bissaus fishing zone, in addition to the development of the Guinea-Bissau fisheries sector and its blue economy; B.whereas the use of fishing opportunities under the previous SFPA is considered satisfactory in overall terms; C.whereas the EU-Guinea Bissau SFPA is of considerable importance in the context of the SFPAs concluded by the EU with third countries, and is currently the third most important in terms of the funds involved, and offers the added advantage of being one of only three agreements that allow access to mixed fisheries; D.whereas the contribution of Guinea-Bissaus fisheries to the countrys wealth is very low (3.5% of GDP in 2015), although the funds that it will receive through the SFPA as financial compensation for access to resources will make a significant contribution to its national public finances; E.whereas compared to the previous Protocol, the EUs financial contribution has been increased from EUR 9 million to EUR 11.6 million per year as regards the annual amount for access to fishery resources and from EUR 3 million euros to EUR 4 million per year as regards EU support for Guinea-Bissaus sectoral fisheries policy; F.whereas during the period covered by the Protocol, fishing opportunities will be defined in two different ways: in the first two years, fishing effort (measured in terms of gross registered tonnage (GRT)), and in the last three years, total allowable catches (in tonnes); whereas this transition should be accompanied by the implementation, during the first two years of the Protocol, of an electronic catch reporting system (ERS) and the processing of catch data; G.whereas during the first period covered by the Protocol, the fishing opportunities granted to EU fleets are as follows: 3700 GRT for shrimp freezer trawlers, 3500 GRT for fin-fish and cephalopods freezer trawlers and 15000 GRT for small pelagic trawlers, 28 tuna freezer seiners and longliners, and 13 pole-and-line tuna vessels; whereas during the second period, the fishing opportunities granted to EU fleets are as follows: 2500 tonnes for shrimp freezer trawlers, 11000 for fin-fish freezer trawlers, 1500 tonnes for cephalopod freezer trawlers and 18 000tonnes for small pelagic trawlers, 28 tuna freezer seiners and longliners, and 13 pole-and-line tuna vessels; H.whereas the first fisheries agreement between the European Economic Community and Guinea-Bissau dated back to 1980; whereas the previous protocol to the agreement expired on 23 November 2017; whereas the performance of the development cooperation component of these agreements (i.e.

Key Points: 
  • on the draft Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (2019-2024) (08928/2019 C90011/2019 2019/0090M(NLE)) The European Parliament, having regard to the draft Council Decision (08928/2019), having regard to the conclusion of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (08894/2019) (the Protocol), having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 43, Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), and Article 218(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C9-0011/2019), -having regard to Article 31(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC ( Common Fisheries Policy)[1], -having regard to its resolution of 12 April 2016 on common rules in respect of application of the external dimension of the CFP, including fisheries agreements[2], having regard to its legislative resolution of ...[3] on the proposal for a decision, having regard to Rule 105(2) of its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Development, having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A9-0013/2020), A.whereas the overall objective of the EU-Guinea Bissau sustainable fisheries partnership agreement (SFPA) is to enhance fisheries cooperation between the EU and Guinea-Bissau, in the interests of both parties, by promoting a sustainable fisheries policy and the sound and sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in Guinea-Bissaus fishing zone, in addition to the development of the Guinea-Bissau fisheries sector and its blue economy; B.whereas the use of fishing opportunities under the previous SFPA is considered satisfactory in overall terms; C.whereas the EU-Guinea Bissau SFPA is of considerable importance in the context of the SFPAs concluded by the EU with third countries, and is currently the third most important in terms of the funds involved, and offers the added advantage of being one of only three agreements that allow access to mixed fisheries; D.whereas the contribution of Guinea-Bissaus fisheries to the countrys wealth is very low (3.5% of GDP in 2015), although the funds that it will receive through the SFPA as financial compensation for access to resources will make a significant contribution to its national public finances; E.whereas compared to the previous Protocol, the EUs financial contribution has been increased from EUR 9 million to EUR 11.6 million per year as regards the annual amount for access to fishery resources and from EUR 3 million euros to EUR 4 million per year as regards EU support for Guinea-Bissaus sectoral fisheries policy; F.whereas during the period covered by the Protocol, fishing opportunities will be defined in two different ways: in the first two years, fishing effort (measured in terms of gross registered tonnage (GRT)), and in the last three years, total allowable catches (in tonnes); whereas this transition should be accompanied by the implementation, during the first two years of the Protocol, of an electronic catch reporting system (ERS) and the processing of catch data; G.whereas during the first period covered by the Protocol, the fishing opportunities granted to EU fleets are as follows: 3700 GRT for shrimp freezer trawlers, 3500 GRT for fin-fish and cephalopods freezer trawlers and 15000 GRT for small pelagic trawlers, 28 tuna freezer seiners and longliners, and 13 pole-and-line tuna vessels; whereas during the second period, the fishing opportunities granted to EU fleets are as follows: 2500 tonnes for shrimp freezer trawlers, 11000 for fin-fish freezer trawlers, 1500 tonnes for cephalopod freezer trawlers and 18 000tonnes for small pelagic trawlers, 28 tuna freezer seiners and longliners, and 13 pole-and-line tuna vessels; H.whereas the first fisheries agreement between the European Economic Community and Guinea-Bissau dated back to 1980; whereas the previous protocol to the agreement expired on 23 November 2017; whereas the performance of the development cooperation component of these agreements (i.e.
  • sectoral support) has not been globally satisfactory; whereas, notwithstanding, progress has been recorded in fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance and sanitary inspection capacity, as has Guinea-Bissaus participation in regional fisheries bodies; whereas sectoral cooperation needs to be enhanced in order to better promote the development of the local fisheries sector and the related industries and activities so as to ensure that a greater proportion of the added value created by the exploitation of the countrys natural resources remains in Guinea-Bissau; I.whereas, in order for the Guinea-Bissau fisheries sector to develop, basic infrastructure needs to be installed, such as ports, landing sites, storage facilities and processing plants, which are still missing, in an effort to attract landings of fish caught in the waters of Guinea-Bissau; J.whereas 2021 will see the start of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030); whereas third countries must be encouraged to play a key role in the acquisition of knowledge; K.whereas trade in fishery products from Guinea-Bissau has been banned by the EU for many years owing to the countrys inability to comply with the sanitary measures required by the EU; whereas the delay in the analytical laboratorys certification process (CIPA) is the main barrier to the exporting of fishery products from Guinea-Bissau to the EU; whereas the Guinean authorities and the Commission are working together in the certification process in order to lift the ban; L.whereas there is a need to ensure that a greater proportion of the added value generated from the exploitation of fishery resources in the Guinean fishing zone remains in the country; M.whereas direct employment in the fisheries sector in Guinea-Bissau has been limited, even when it comes to employing local crew members on board vessels (currently, a lower number work on these vessels than when the previous Protocol was concluded) or women, whose livelihoods and jobs are contingent on the fisheries sector; N.whereas compared to the previous Protocol, the number of seamen to be signed on in the EU fleet increased significantly; whereas EU vessels owners shall endeavour to sign on additional Guinean seamen; whereas the Guinea-Bissau authorities are to draw up and keep updated an indicative list of qualified seamen who are candidates to be signed on by EU vessels; O.whereas advances have been made in the fight against IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing in Guinea-Bissaus territorial waters, thanks to the Guinean exclusive economic zones (EEZ) improved methods of supervision, namely those allocated to FISCAP (Inspection and Control of Fishing Activities), which includes a corps of observers and fast patrol vessels; whereas there are still flaws and shortcomings which must be overcome, which include matters relating to the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS); P.whereas advances have been made in the profiling of demersal fish stocks in the Guinean EEZ, and in particular the report of the campaign to assess demersal stocks in the Guinea-Bissau EEZ of January 2019; Q.whereas Guinea-Bissau is one of 13 countries under the scope of the project Improved regional fisheries governance in western Africa (PESCAO) adopted by Commission Decision C(2017) 2951 of 28 April 2017, which, among other objectives, aims to strengthen the prevention of and responses to IUU fishing by improving monitoring, control and surveillance at national and regional level; R.whereas the integration of the recommendations previously made by Parliament in the current Protocol were not fully satisfactory; S.whereas Parliament must be duly informed in good time and at all stages of the procedures concerning the Protocol or its renewal; 1.Notes the importance of the EU-Guinea Bissau SFPA, both for Guinea Bissau and for EU fleets operating in the Guinea-Bissau fishing zone; emphasises that there is scope for more effective progress in terms of fisheries cooperation between the EU and Guinea-Bissau and reiterates its call on the Commission to take every step required to go beyond previous protocols on the implementation of this agreement to ensure that this SFPA leads to satisfactory levels of development of the local fisheries sector in global terms, and should be consistent with the objectives referred to in the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development; 2.Considers that the objectives of the EU-Guinea Bissau SFPA have had differing degrees of success: while the agreement has offered and provides considerable fishing opportunities for EU vessels in the Guinea-Bissau fishing zone and European ship-owners have made considerable use of these opportunities, the local fisheries sector has not, overall, developed enough or in a satisfactory manner; 3.Stresses that, in its Article 3, the Protocol contains a non-discrimination clause whereby Guinea-Bissau undertakes not to grant more favourable technical conditions to other foreign fleets operating in Guinea-Bissau's fishing zone that have the same characteristics and target the same species; calls on the Commission to closely follow EU fisheries agreements with third countries that are in Guinea-Bissau's fishing zone; 4.Welcomes the contribution of EU vessels to food security in Guinea-Bissau by direct landings, as specified in Chapter 5 of the Annex to the Protocol, for the benefit of the local communities and to promote internal fish trade and consumption; 5.Considers that a transition in the management of fishing opportunities (from fishing effort management to total allowable catch management) poses a challenge to this Protocol; calls on the Commission and the Guinea-Bissau to promote, without delay, an appropriate and effective transition, which safeguards the necessary reliability and effectiveness of the ERS and the processing of catch data; 6.Supports the need for significant progress in the development of the Guinea-Bissau fisheries sector, including the fishing industry and related activities, and calls on the Commission to take all necessary measures including a possible revision and the bolstering of the sectoral support component of the agreement, along with measures to increase the absorption rate of the financial contribution in order to achieve this objective; 7.Considers that the EU-Guinea Bissau SFPA will not achieve its objectives if it does not help put in place a management system for the sustainable, long-term exploitation of its fishery resources; considers it of utmost importance to comply with the provisions set out in the Protocol on sectoral support so that it contributes to the full implementation of the national strategy for fisheries and the blue economy; identifies, in this regard, as priority areas for EU support, mobilising the necessary technical and financial assistance in order to: a.strengthen institutional capacity, notably regional and global fisheries governance strategies, so as to take account of the cumulative impacts of different fisheries agreements of countries in the region; b.support the strengthening of marine protected areas in order to move towards integrated management of fisheries resources; c.develop key infrastructure for fisheries and related activities, such as ports (both industrial and artisanal), sites for landing, storing and processing fish, markets, distribution and marketing structures, quality analysis laboratories, with the aim of attracting landings of the fish caught in the waters of Guinea-Bissau; d.strengthen local operator capacity in the fisheries sector by supporting fishermens organisations; e.train fishing professionals; f.support small-scale fishing; g.contribute to the good ecological condition of the marine environment, in particular by supporting the collection of waste and fishing gear by local actors; h.recognise and enhance the role of women and young people in fishing, and improve the organisation of their roles by supporting the requisite conditions to this end; 8.Urges the Commission and the Member States, in their cooperation and official development assistance policies, to take into account the fact that the European Development Fund (EDF) and sectoral support provided for in the EU-Guinea-Bissau SFPA should complement each other and be fully coordinated, with a view to strengthening the local fisheries sector; 9.Expresses its concern about the growing number of fish meal and fish oil plants on the west African coast, which are also supplied with fish from the waters of Guinea Bissau; underlines the fact that forage fishing runs counter to the principle of sustainability and the provision of valuable protein resources to the local community; welcomes the expansion of the port and landing facilities in Guinea-Bissau, but at the same time expresses its concern that this could be followed by the construction of new fishmeal plants; 10.Calls on the Commission and the Guinea-Bissau authorities to enhance their cooperation in order to establish the conditions for the export of Guinea-Bissau fishery products to the EU, in particular as regards the verification of the required sanitary conditions and certification of the analytical laboratory (CIPA), so as to overcome the current ban, boost the development of the local fisheries sector and, consequently, make progress towards achieving the SFPA objectives; 11.Supports the need to enhance the contribution of the SFPA to the local creation of direct and indirect jobs, either on vessels operating under the SFPA or in fishing activities, both upstream and downstream; considers that the Member States can play a key role and be an active part in capacity-building and training efforts in order to achieve this; 12.Recalls the unique nature of Guinea-Bissaus marine and coastal ecosystems, such as the mangrove forests, which act as nursery habitats for fishery resources, and which require targeted action to protect and restore biodiversity; 13.Considers that information should be compiled on the benefits that the implementation of the Protocol brings to local economies (e.g.
  • employment, infrastructure and social improvements); 14.Considers that there is a need to improve the quantity and quality of data on all catches (target and by-catch), on the conservation status of fishery resources in the fishing zone of Guinea-Bissau and, in general, on the impact of the SFPA on ecosystems, and that an effort should be made to develop the capacity of Guinea-Bissau to acquire such data; calls on the Commission to help ensure that the bodies responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement, namely the Joint Committee and Joint Scientific Committee, can operate smoothly, with the involvement of artisanal fishermens associations, associations of women working in the fisheries sector, trade unions, representatives of coastal communities and Guinea-Bissau civil society organisations; 15.Considers that there is the absolute need to improve data collection on catches in Guinea Bissau; calls, moreover, for an improvement of the transmission of data generated by the VMS systems of EU vessels via the flag state to the African authorities; calls for better data system interoperability; 16.Urges the publication of reports on the actions that have been supported by the sectoral support for greater transparency; 17.Considers that, in the event of the closure of fisheries or the introduction of fishing restrictions, in order to ensure that resources are sustainable, as established in the Protocol, local fishing needs should be addressed first on the basis of sound scientific advice; 18.Emphasises the importance of the surplus requirement for Union vessels fishing in third country waters; 19.Supports the need, with a view to improving the sustainability of fishing activities, to improve the governance, control and surveillance of the fishing zone of Guinea Bissau and to combat IUU fishing, inter alia, by stepping up the monitoring of vessels (through the VMS system); 20.Urges the inclusion of transparency provisions, which would entail publishing all agreements with states or private entities that have granted foreign vessels access to Guinea Bissaus EEZ; 21.Stresses the importance of allocating the fishing opportunities provided by the SFPA based on the principles of equity, balance and transparency; 22.Emphasises the importance that the landings of fish in Guinea Bissau ports contribute to local processing activities and food security, both in terms of species and quality; 23.Calls on the Commission to forward to Parliament the minutes and conclusions of the meetings of the Joint Committee, the multiannual sectoral programme referred to in Article 5 of the Protocol and the results of its annual evaluations, information on the coordination of this programme with the strategic plan for the development of Guinea-Bissaus fisheries (2015-2020), the minutes and conclusions of the meetings of the Joint Scientific Committee, and information on IUU fishing in the Guinean fishing zone, the integration of EU economic operators in the Guinean fisheries sector (Article 10 of the Protocol) and the verification of compliance with the obligations of ship-owners (e.g.
  • in relation to the contribution in kind provided for in Chapter V of the Annex to the Protocol); calls on the Commission to present to Parliament, within the last year of application of the Protocol and before the opening of negotiations for its renewal, a full report on its implementation; 24.Calls on the Commission and on the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to provide more detailed information on the development of activities associated with forage fishing in the region; 25.Calls on the Commission to better integrate the recommendations of Parliament into the EU-Guinea-Bissau SFPA and to take them into account in the procedures for the renewal of the Protocol; 26.Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of Guinea-Bissau.

Ex-EU Fisheries Chair gives evidence to Lords Committee

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 25, 2020

The EU and UK are aiming to aiming to reach agreement on what access EU fleets will have to UK fishing waters by 1 July this year. Chris Davies will speak with the Committee about his insights into the EU perspective having chaired the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee in 2019-20.

Key Points: 

The EU and UK are aiming to aiming to reach agreement on what access EU fleets will have to UK fishing waters by 1 July this year. Chris Davies will speak with the Committee about his insights into the EU perspective having chaired the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee in 2019-20.
Key points of discussion will include: