PURPOSE: to establish a European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and define its objectives.
PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
BACKGROUND: the Commission adopted on October 6th 2011 a proposal for a "Common Provisions" Regulation which lays down common rules for the shared-management funds, with the main aim of simplification of policy delivery. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF), Cohesion Fund, European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the future European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (CSF Funds) pursue complementary objectives and share the same management mode. The "Common Provisions" Regulation sets out a series of common rules for these funds.
The Commission proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020 adopted on 29 June 2011 set the budgetary framework and main orientations for the funding of Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP).
This proposal for the Regulation on European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) aims at achieving the objectives of the reformed CFP and of IMP. It is based on these objectives, re-defined in terms of funding:
§ promotion of sustainable and competitive fisheries and aquaculture;
§ fostering the development and implementation of the Union's Integrated Maritime Policy, in a complementary manner to cohesion policy and to CFP;
§ promotion of balanced and inclusive territorial development of fisheries areas (including aquaculture and inland fishing);
§ contribution to the implementation of the CFP.
IMPACT ASSESSMENT: on the basis of the FIFG ex-post evaluation, the interim evaluation of the EFF and the impact assessment for the CFP reform, the impact assessment of the EMFF assesses three alternative scenarios:
The impact assessment concluded that the "EFF+ Convergence" performs better than the two other options on the three impact indicators chosen for the analysis: (i) the reduction of the impact of fisheries on the environment; (ii) the closure of the innovation gap in fisheries and aquaculture and (iii) the number of jobs created in communities dependent on fisheries.
LEGAL BASIS: Article 42, Article 43(2), Article 91(1), Article 100(2), Article 173(3), Article 175, Article 188, Article 192(1), Article 194(2) and Article 195(2) TFEU.
CONTENT: the Commission proposes that most of the current CFP and IMP financial instruments be integrated into one fund, with the exception of Sustainable Fisheries Agreements (SFAs) and the compulsory contribution to RFMOs.
EMFF focuses on CFP and IMP long-term strategic objectives including sustainable and competitive fisheries and aquaculture, consistent policy framework for the further development of IMP and balanced and inclusive territorial development of fisheries areas.
The EMFF is structured around 4 pillars:
§ Smart, green Fisheries (shared management) to foster the transition to sustainable fishing which is more selective, produces no discards, does less damage to marine ecosystems and thus contributes to the sustainable management of marine ecosystems; and to provide support focused on innovation and value added, making the fisheries sector economically viable and resilient to external shocks and to competition from third countries.
§ Smart, green Aquaculture (shared management) - to achieve economically viable, competitive and green aquaculture, capable of facing global competition and providing EU consumers with healthy and high nutrition value products.
§ Sustainable and inclusive territorial development (shared management) - to reverse the decline of many coastal and inland communities dependent on fishing, through adding more value to fishing and fishing related activities and through diversification to other sectors of the maritime economy.
§ Integrated Maritime Policy (direct centralised management) to support those cross cutting priorities which generate savings and growth but which the Member States will not take forward on their own – such as marine knowledge, maritime spatial planning, integrated coastal zone management and integrated maritime surveillance, the protection of the marine environment, in particular its biodiversity, and adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change on coastal areas.
In addition to the four pillars, the EMFF will include accompanying measures: data collection and scientific advice, control, governance, fisheries markets (including outermost regions), voluntary payments to RFMOs and technical assistance.
BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the envelope for 2014-2020, in current prices, is set at EUR 7,535 billion, including SFAs and the compulsory contributions to RFMOs, which will be funded separately. The EMFF budget amounts, in current prices to EUR 6567 million.
DELEGATED ACTS: the proposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.