Annexes to COM(2016)380 - Member States' efforts during 2014 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2016)380 - Member States' efforts during 2014 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2016)380  |
| date | June 10, 2016 |
As of November 2015, 85.065 vessels were registered in the EU fleet register with an overall capacity of 1.627,125 GT and 6.474,617 KW. This shows a reduction in 2015 (excluding in the outermost regions) of 0.6% in number of vessels (See Annex I). The fishing capacity of the EU fleet was 18.42 % below the capacity ceilings for tonnage and 11.60% below the power ceilings (See Graph1). For the EU's outermost regions which account for 5.4 % of the total EU fleet, during the period between January 2014 and November 2015, fleet capacity decreased by 0.1% in GT and increased by 0.9 in KW (see Annex V).
To ensure accuracy of the measurements in the fleet register, Member States are obliged in line with the Control regulation to systematically certify new engines, and replacement and technically modified engines of more than 120 kW for vessels subject to a fishing effort regime as from January 2012 and all vessels as from January 2013. Also, in accordance with the Control Regulation, Member States must undertake data verification on the basis of sampling plans. Similarly, when information indicates that the engine power is greater than the power stated on the vessel's fishing licence, Member States should undertake physical verifications.
As of end December 2015 eighteen Member States 10 adopted a sampling plan for the verification of engine power.
As a result of 16 EU pre-contentious cases, the Commission has received all sampling plans on engine power from the Member States. The Commission is currently carrying-out audits, in order to monitor their effective implementation.
In the period 2007-2015, Member States have used permanent cessation measures under the European Fisheries Fund to decommission vessels from their fleet and reduce capacity (See Graph 2). Between 2007 and 31 May 2015, 4.267 vessels were decommissioned with public support, with a total public expenditure of almost 935 million euro, of which 546 million euro was from the EFF (See Annex VII) 11 . Vessels decommissioned with support from the EFF cannot be replaced, thereby ensuring that overall fleet capacity reduces. A further 2.077 vessels (GT 88014.37 - KW 215320.6) were removed from the fleet without public aid, although capacity withdrawn without public aid can be reintroduced.
Fleets in the outermost regions of France, Portugal and Spain are also below their respective capacity ceilings. These fleets (total number of fishing vessels 4,562) are considered separately from the mainland fleets in Annex II of Regulation (EC) 1380/2013. On November 2015 the overall ceilings for the outermost regions decreased very slightly (-1.4%).
Regional Assessment
Atlantic, Northeast
The fishing capacity in terms of gross tonnage (hereafter GT) and kilowatts (hereafter KW) has generally decreased following the trend of the last years. STECF reports that for most fleet segments in the Atlantic Northeast for which economic, technical and biological indicator values could be calculated, values over the period 2009-2013 were indicating progressively less imbalance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities. In the Northeast Atlantic, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, fishing has generally progressed towards maximum sustainable yield (hereafter MSY). This also may be linked with the continuous reduction of the fleet capacity ceilings that were achieved during the last years.
Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea
The situation of the stocks in the Mediterranean and Black sea shows that almost 92 % of assessed stocks are overfished. In this regard, a number of action plans have been presented by the Member States to the Commission, in order to address situations of imbalance. Concerning the economic indicators STECF reports that trends in performance over 2009-2013 were improving for the majority of fleet segments. Values for the vessel-utilisation-ratio indicate increasing imbalance for most fleet segments that were assessed during that period.
Observations on the basis of the Member States reports and the STECF analysis
On the basis of the analysis by the STECF, the following conclusions can be made:
1. Considerable progress has been made in the quality of the submitted national reports. However, in order to increase the consistency of the resulting indicator values the coverage and quality of the balance indicators, especially the biological indicators, should be improved.
2. The analysis by STECF shows that some of the indicators could not be calculated for all fleet segments due to lack of data or, in case of economic and technical indicators, due to clustering segments together, which is done in order to protect commercial confidentiality.
3. In 2014, there was an overall increase in the number of fleet segments for which Member States have identified structural overcapacity. As a result, 17 action plans were submitted by Member States which contain the adjustment targets and tools to achieve a balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities and a clear time-frame for their implementation. Member States have opted for a variety of measures to reduce capacity including the introduction of transferable fishing concessions or permanent cessation to be supported by the EMFF.
4. The introduction of an ex-ante conditionality on the submission of the fleet report in line with Commission guidelines as part of the approval of the EMFF Operational Programme has strengthened the link between EU funding and compliance with CFP rules.
5. A general overview of the EU fleet shows low vessel utilisation. In some Member States the level is somewhat higher. The highest levels of inactivity can be seen in fleets of small-scale vessels, i.e. vessels measuring less than 12 m. 93% of inactive vessels were under 12m in length, while vessels between 12m and 24m accounted for 6% and vessels over 24m less than 2% of inactive vessels (See Graph 3). 12
6. Overall, there has been significant progress in recent years in efforts to achieve balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities across the EU. The reduction in fleet capacity in recent years has helped to improve the situation of fish stocks which are overexploited moving the fisheries in the direction of the maximum sustainable yield targets. In addition, better implementation of the Guidelines has helped to improve the analysis of imbalance within different fleets. However, reports by the Member States reveal that for specific fleet segments, further efforts are needed to reduce the identified imbalances, especially in the Mediterranean Sea.
(1) Article 22(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC, OJ L 354/22, 28.12.2013.
(2) COM(2014) 545 final.
(3) See: http://s-antares.fish.cec.eu.int/front/index.cfm?method=FM_Reporting.AnnualReport
(4) Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), Assessment of balance indicators for key fleet segments and review of national reports on Member States efforts to achieve balance between fleet capacity and fishing opportunities (STECF-15-15), https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/43805/1166222/2015-10_STECF+15-15+-+Balance+capacity_JRC97991.pdf
(5)
Council Regulation (EC) No 199/2008 of 25 February 2008 concerning the establishment of a Community framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the Common Fisheries Policy, OJ L 60/1, 5.3.2008.
(6)
Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Union control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008 and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006,OJ L 343/1, 22.12.2009. .
(7) Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom. The action plans are available by the link indicated in the Annex VI.
(8) Belgium, Estonia, Finland Netherlands, Romania.
(9)
(10) Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
(11) See Article 40 of Commission Regulation (EC) No498/2007 of 26 March 2007, laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 on the European Fisheries Fund, OJ L 120/1, 10.05.2007.
(12)