The EU Parliament and Council have reached provisional agreement on improved rules to tackle non-sustainable fishing practices allowed by non-EU countries in relation to stocks of common interest.
Overall, the aim is to safeguard the long-term sustainability of shared fish stocks, while also ensuring fair competition for European fishers and protecting EU fishing interests. The targeted revision makes the rules for identifying countries allowing non-sustainable fishing practices clearer and more transparent.
Under existing rules, once a country has been identified as allowing non-sustainable fishing practices, the EU can impose restrictions such as import bans. Following the revised regulation, non-EU countries will have a clearer understanding of the circumstances under which their actions could lead to EU penalties.
More specifically, the updated regulation clarifies the notion of ‘failure to cooperate’ and provides a list of examples of non-cooperative behaviour. Such examples include refusing to consult or to involve all the relevant countries in the consultations.
The text also clarifies that a country can be considered as allowing non-sustainable fishing if, while failing to cooperate, it does not adopt, implement or enforce the necessary measures, including control measures.
The new rules also clarify that if a third country imposes quotas or discriminatory measures, without due regard to the rights, interests and duties of other countries and the EU, and which lead to the stock being in an unsustainable state, the regulation can be applied.
The measures foreseen in the regulation can be applied in all cases where international cooperation is required, including in the context of a regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO).
The Council and Parliament agree that the Commission must update them on developments or actions taken when identifying a country as failing to cooperate or when imposing restrictions on imports.
Another key objective of the proposal is to improve cooperation with non-EU countries before and after the EU takes action to address non-sustainable fishing practices. The updated rules will ensure a continued dialogue with the third country, as well as bilateral and multilateral cooperation, aiming to ensure that the country ceases to allow non-sustainable fishing.
The agreed text clarifies that if the stock falls under an RFMO, the compliance body of that RFMO will deal with the matter, in order to remedy the situation, before the EU takes measures.
A specific deadline of 90 days for third countries to reply to notifications by the EU has also been agreed.
The provisional agreement now needs to be confirmed by both institutions before it can be formally adopted.
