A legislative amendment to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2014-2020 has been proposed by the European Commission that will allow additional crisis measures to support the EU fishery and aquaculture sectors in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The new proposal complements the first package of crisis measures adopted under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) on 25 March, the Commission advises.
It comprises financial compensation for additional costs, for income forgone and for the storage of products, as well as for the temporary cessation of fishing activities where they are currently unsafe.
“The fishery and aquaculture sectors are heavily impacted by the war in Ukraine. There are still financial resources available under the EMFF. With this proposal, we give the possibility to member states to reallocate them to specific measures mitigating the socio-economic impact of the crisis,” EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said.
Recognising that the conflict has generated very high additional operating costs which have squeezed profit margins in the fishery, aquaculture and seafood processing sectors, and has also led to a precautionary interruption of fishing activities in certain areas, the Commission said that once the new proposal has been adopted, member states will have the possibility to quickly grant financial support for the additional costs and economic losses stemming from the crisis.
The proposal introduces these compensation schemes within existing EMFF measures to facilitate their quick implementation.
As a legislative proposal, it will need to be adopted by the European Parliament and to the Council, through the ordinary legislative procedure, before it can take effect.
