An Unwelcome Flashback
Sometimes I may think the era of soviet era economics has died. Unfortunately, I am all too often proven to be wrong.
I have been working on an off on fisheries policy for over 20 years. I got involved because as a pro-European it seemed to be one of the more mad EU policies. European taxpayers paying private business to go and fish in other countries waters always seemed a bit mad to me. Paying them to build boats at taxpayers expense seemed straight wrong. But, over time, some of those silly policies have been reduced or got rid off.
A Return to the 80s
On Wednesday 10th July the EPP (led by France) and S&D Group have joined together to allow trawlers to be built at taxpayers expense. This will be a step back in time to before the last reform!
You can find the proposals @ http://bit.ly/19BrNKQ
The proposals seemed set to be adopted. The EPP with the S&D dominate the fishing committee.
Here’s an explanation of what they are supporting.
By doing this the MEPs will shift money that would have otherwise gone to support helping the fleet adapt to the reform of the new CFP to building new trawlers.
Compromise Amendments 2 & 27.
Building New Trawlers
Comp AM 2 would change the definition of small scale vessels. Under today’s legislation a small scale vessels is a vessel below 12 meters length and without towed gear (so without trawl, long line etc ). Usually these vessels have set nets or pots or angles and therefore less impact on environment.
Under the new proposal in Comp AM 2 an 11 meter trawler would also be defined as small scale.
<Amend>Amendment <NumAm>2</NumAm>
<RepeatBlock-By><Members></Members>
<AuNomDe>on behalf of the EPP Group, ALDE Group, ECR Group</AuNomDe>
</RepeatBlock-By><Compromise>Compromise amendment replacing Amendments 41, 42, 470, 471, 472, 473, 474, 480, 481, 483, 484, 485, 489, 491, 497, 498, 499, 500, 501, 502, 503, 505, 508, 509, 511, 512, 513, 515; 516, 518, 520, 522, 525, REGI 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40; ENVI 44, 45, 46, 47; EMPL 40</Compromise>
<DocAmend>Proposal for a regulation</DocAmend>
<Article>Article 3</Article>
Amendment
Definitions
(17) ‘small scale and coastal fishing’ means fishing carried out by fishing vessels:
– of an overall length of less than 12 metres;
– whose power is under 120 Kilowatt;
– which do not use towed gear as listed in Table 3 Annex I of Commission Regulation (EC) No 26/2004 of 30 December 2003 regarding the fishing vessels register of the Union or spend less than 24 hours at sea;
Construction Aid
COMP AM 27 allows vessel construction aid. This was abolished with the last Reform in 2022 and it makes no sense to re-open this closed chapter. At the time the Court of Auditors gave a negative opinion about vessel construction aid.
So voting for COMP AM 2 and 27 would mean giving EU taxpayers’ money to build new trawlers. This would be contradictory to the EP position on the reform of the CFP as the EP has achieved many concessions from the Council to make this policy more sustainable for the future.