EU agrees outline position on external fishing fleets
Fishing boat
(LUXEMBOURG) - EU states reached a compromise deal Tuesday on the sustainable management of external fishing fleets, aiming to modernise the management of authorisations granted to EU vessels to fish outside EU waters.
The agreement looks to strike a balance between commitment to sustainable and transparent fishing activities outside EU waters, and a need for robust administrative procedures, especially concerning authorisations.
For the Dutch presidency, agriculture minister Martijn van Dam said: "The Council text increases the transparency of external fishing activities and will make it more difficult to circumvent the CFP rules, while limiting administrative burdens."
The Commission proposal for a regulation on external fishing fleets envisages an overhaul of the regime of authorisations for Union fishing vessels to fish outside Union waters, and for third country fishing vessels to fish inside Union waters.
The main objective is to ensure that Common Fisheries Policy policies, such as sustainability or the fight against illegal fishing, are respected by EU vessels whether they fish inside or outside EU waters. The proposed regulation lays down clear and precise rules to authorise and monitor all EU vessels when they fish outside the EU waters, irrespective of where the fishing activity takes place.
The outline deal confirms a broadening of the scope of the regulation to issues such as direct third country licences, chartering and "reflagging". It also endorses the Commission approach as to introducing a joint database to further improve the transparency of external fishing activity and to simplify monitoring.
Before it can fish outside Union waters, an EU vessel needs an authorisation by or an agreement with the third country or international fisheries management organisation concerned. Furthermore an EU vessel now needs an authorisation by its flag Member State too.
The Council general approach introduces changes to the various authorisation procedures to limit the administrative burden, increase legal certainty, ensure equal treatment between internal and external fleets, and shorten the time of response to applicants.
Reporting obligations are reviewed by the Council in order to make them supplementary to existing channels and practices under fisheries agreements.
The proposed regulation on external fishing fleets supplements the regulations on controls and on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), which are key implementing pillars of the CFP.
The Commission sent its proposal in December 2015 and the Council examination started in January 2016 at working party level.