PURPOSE: to establish a European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council European on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2328/2003, (EC) No 861/2006, (EC) No 1198/2006 and (EC) No 791/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1255/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
CONTENT: the Regulation on the EMFF is part of the package of measures on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), as is the Regulation on the basic provisions of the CFP and the Regulation on markets. It defines Union financial measures for the implementation of the CFP.
The EMFF contributes to the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and the implementation of the CFP. It is centred on the Union’s priorities for the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture and contributes to the achievement of the following objectives:
1) Promoting competitive, environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially responsible fisheries and aquaculture: for example:
· the reduction of the impact of fisheries on the marine environment, including the avoidance and reduction, as far as possible, of unwanted catches;
· the protection and restoration of aquatic biodiversity and ecosystems;
· the ensuring of a balance between fishing capacity and available fishing opportunities;
· the enhancement of the competitiveness and viability of fisheries enterprises, including of small–scale coastal fleet, and the enhancement of ecosystems related to aquaculture and the improvement of safety and working conditions;
· the provision of support to strengthen technological development, including increasing energy efficiency;
· the promotion of aquaculture having a high level of environmental protection, and the promotion of animal health and welfare and of public health and safety;
· the development of professional training.
2) Fostering the implementation of the CFP: i) the improvement and supply of scientific knowledge; ii) the improvement of the collection and management of data; iii) the provision of support to monitoring, control and enforcement.
3)Increasing employment and territorial cohesion: i) the promotion of economic growth, social inclusion and job creation; ii) providing support to employability and labour mobility in coastal and inland communities which depend on fishing and aquaculture, including the diversification of activities within fisheries and into other sectors of maritime economy.
4) Fostering marketing and processing by pursuing the improvement of market organisation for fishery and aquaculture products and the encouragement of investment in the processing and marketing sectors.
5) Fostering the implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) of the Union so as to complement cohesion policy and the CFP.
Budget and Financing: the Regulation establishes a distinction between categories of measures that are co-financed within the framework of shared management between the Union and the Member States, and those co-financed within the framework of direct management.
The resources available for commitments from the EMFF for the period from 2014 to 2020 under shared management shall be EUR 5 749 331 600 in current prices, broken down as follows:
· the sustainable development of fisheries, aquaculture and fisheries areas, to marketing and processing-related measures and to technical assistance at the initiative of the Member States: EUR 4 340 800 000;
· control and enforcement measures: EUR 580 000 000;
· measures on data collection: EUR 520 000 000;
· the compensation of outermost regions: EUR 192 500 000;
· storage aid: EUR 44 976 000;
· measures concerning the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP): EUR 71 055 600.
The resources for the period 2014 to 2020, concerning measures under direct management amounts to EUR 647 275 400 in current prices.
The measures financed under shared management provide, among other things:
· start-up support for young fishermen under 40 years of age: individual support for start up can go up to EUR 75 000 if they make the first acquisition of a fishing or coastal vessel with an overall length of less than 24 metres, of between 5 and 30 years old, and if they have at least five years professional experience in the sector;
· measures relating to temporary and permanent cessation of fishing activities, under certain conditions;
· contribution to mutual funds which pay financial compensation to fishermen for economic losses caused by adverse climatic events or by environmental incidents or for the rescue costs for fishermen or fishing vessels in the case of accidents at sea during their fishing activities;
· support for the systems of allocation of fishing opportunities;
· support to operations aimed at developing improved fishing gear selectivity;
· support to the collection of waste from the sea by fishermen, as well as contributing to better management or conservation of the biological resources of the sea;
· support for investments in equipment or on board aimed at reducing the emission of pollutants or green-house gases and increasing the energy efficiency of fishing vessels on certain conditions;
· support for investments that add value to fishery products or improve the quality of the fish caught.
Aquaculture: the Regulation specifies that entrepreneurs entering the sector shall provide a business plan and, where the amount of investments is more than EUR 50 000, a feasibility study, including an environmental assessment of the operations.
Support shall be granted only where it has been clearly demonstrated in an independent marketing report that good and sustainable market prospects exist for the product. Support shall not be granted to the farming of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Finally, the Commission may reduce or end the financial support given, or suspend payments, if it considers that the Union funds have not been correctly used.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 21.05.2014. The Regulation applies from 01.01.2014.
DELEGATED ACTS: the Commission may adopt delegated acts in order to supplement and amend certain non-essential elements of the Regulation. The power to adopt such acts shall be conferred on the Commission until 31 December 2020. The European Parliament or the Council may object to a delegated act within a period of two months from the date of notification (this period can be extended for two months). If the European Parliament or the Council make objections, the delegated act will not enter into force.