Considerations on COM(2023)430 - EU position in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission

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dossier COM(2023)430 - EU position in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.
document COM(2023)430 EN
date December 11, 2023
 
(1)By Council Decision 81/608/EEC 15 , the Union concluded the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries 16 (NEAFC Convention), which established the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC). The 2004 and 2006 amendments to the NEAFC Convention were approved by Council Decision 2009/550/EC of 5 March 2009 17 . The amendments formally entered into force on 29 October 2013 although, in accordance with the London Declaration of 18 November 2005 18 , it was agreed to implement the amendments on a provisional basis from their adoption, pending their entry into force.

(2)The NEAFC adopts measures to ensure the long-term conservation and optimum utilisation of the fishery resources in the NEAFC Convention area (‘the Regulatory Area’). Such measures may become binding upon the Union.

(3)Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council 19  provides that the Union is to ensure that fishing and aquaculture activities are environmentally sustainable in the long-term and are managed in a way that is consistent with the objectives of achieving economic, social and employment benefits, and of contributing to the availability of food supplies. It also provides that the Union is to apply the precautionary approach to fisheries management, and is to aim to ensure that exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains the population of harvested species above levels, which can produce the maximum sustainable yield. It further provides that the Union is to take management and conservation measures based on best available scientific advice, to support the development of scientific knowledge and advice, to gradually eliminate discards and to promote fishing methods that contribute to more selective fishing and the avoidance and reduction, as far as possible, of unwanted catches, to fishing with low impact on marine ecosystem and fishery resources. Besides, Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 specifically provides that those objectives and principles are to be applied by the Union in the conduct of its external fisheries relations.

(4)In line with the Biodiversity 20 , Climate Adaptation 21 and Farm to Fork Strategies 22 , it is essential to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems. The risks stemming from climate change and loss of biodiversity must not jeopardise the availability of the goods and services that healthy marine ecosystems provide to fishers, coastal communities and humanity at large.

(5)The Plastics Strategy 23 refers to specific measures to reduce plastics and marine pollution as well as the loss or abandonment at sea of fishing gear. Furthermore, the Zero pollution Action Plan 24 aims at reducing by 50% plastic litter at sea and by 30% micro-plastics released into the environment.

(6)Under the International Ocean Governance Joint Communication 25 , marine biodiversity protection and conservation are key priorities under the EU’s external action. The EU is the most prominent actor in Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and fisheries bodies worldwide. There, the EU promotes the sustainability of fish stocks, promotes transparent decision-making based on sound scientific advice, enhances scientific research, and strengthens compliance. 

(7)It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the meetings of the NEAFC for the period 2024-2028, as the NEAFC conservation and enforcement measures will be binding on the Union and capable of decisively influencing the content of Union law, namely, Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 of the European Parliament and of the Council 26 and Council Regulations (EC) No 1005/2008 27 and No 1224/2009 28 . 

(8)Currently the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the meetings of the NEAFC is established by Council Decision (EU) 2019/865 29 . It is appropriate to repeal that Decision and establish a new Decision for the period 2024-2028.

(9)In view of the evolving nature of fishery resources in the Regulatory Area (international waters under the competence of NEAFC) and the consequent need for the Union’s position to take account of new developments, including new scientific and other relevant information presented before or during the meetings of the NEAFC, procedures should be established for the year-to-year specification of the Union’s position for the period 2024-2028. Those positions should be in line with the principle of sincere cooperation among the Union institutions enshrined in Article 13(2) of the Treaty on the European Union.