This week the Regional Development Committee adopted its opinion on the future financing mechanism for fisheries in the EU (EMFF).
In what Oceana calls a “surprising and disappointing” move, the Members of this Committee supported amendments that allowed for building new boats, vessel modernisation and subsidies for new engines, which Oceana says will increase pressure on already overfished stocks.
Xavier Pastor, executive director of Oceana Europe said, “The Regional Development Committee vote blatantly ignores the calls to eliminate environmentally harmful subsidies made both by fishermen and by European bodies such as the European Commission and Court of Auditors. By reintroducing subsidies that were eliminated 10 years ago these MEPs have undermined any attempt at reforming the European subsidies policy for the fisheries sector.”
However, the Employment and Social Affairs Committee did not ask for these subsidies, voting down an amendment that wanted subsidies to be used to modernise boats instead. This Committee also voted through an amendment to include an assessment on the balance between the capacity of the fishing fleet and fishing opportunities
The vote on the EMFF in the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety was surprisingly postponed on short notice.
The next two opinion committees, The Environment, Public Health and Food Security Committee and the Budget Committee are expected to vote in November.
