Collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the common fisheries policy. Recast

2015/0133(COD)

The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Marco AFFRONTE (EFDD, IT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the establishment of a Union framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the Common Fisheries Policy (recast).

The committee recommended that Parliament’s position adopted in first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:

Objectives: Members specified that the regulation should establish rules on the collection, management, and use of biological, technical, environmental, social and economic data concerning the fisheries sector with a view to contributing to the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy set out in Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.

Establishment of an EU multiannual programme: only one programme will be in force for the Union. This does not affect the ability of the Commission to amend the programme. When setting out the multiannual programme, the Commission should bear in mind:

  • the information needs for the management and efficient implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy, including the needs for ecosystem-based fisheries management, the impact of recreational fisheries and the needs of the CFP where those information needs overlap with other legal acts such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Integrated Maritime Policy and the Birds and Habitats Directives;
  • the need for and relevance of comprehensive and reliable data of good quality for decisions on fisheries management and protection of ecosystems including vulnerable species and habitats;
  • the need for harmonised data that are in line with correct, standardised statistical principles that make it possible to assess the impact on ecosystems and fish stocks and that are taken into account for management at regional level;
  • the need for simplification and to avoid duplication of data collection,
  • the need for data to cover data-deficient fisheries,
  • the need to collect information on fleets that have not yet been covered.

Content of the multi-annual Union programme: multi-annual Union programmes shall establish:

  • thresholds below which it is not mandatory for Member States to collect data or carry out research surveys, based on their fishing and aquaculture activities;
  • data on fish stocks and their conservation and management;
  • the quantifiable targets required for the implementation of the multiannual plans referred to in Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, such as fishing mortality rates and spawning stock biomass;
  • ecosystem data to assess the impact of Union fisheries on the marine ecosystem in Union and external waters, including data on by-catch of non-target species, in particular species protected under international or Union law, data on impacts of fisheries on marine habitats and data on impacts of fisheries on food webs, obtained, inter alia, by analysing catches and vulnerable marine areas such as nursery areas and Posidonia seabeds (marine seagrasses);
  • data on the Union fleet and its activity in Union and external waters;
  • socio-economic data on fisheries, including recreational fisheries;
  • socio-economic data on the fish and aquaculture product processing sector.

The list of mandatory research surveys shall be drawn up taking into account the following requirements:

  • information needs for the management of the Common Fisheries Policy, including compliance with Union environmental legislation, in particular the objective of achieving good environmental status by 2020;
  • information needs for the evaluation of conservation measures;
  • information which is necessary in order to terminate or adjust emergency measures when they have initially been based on the precautionary principle.

National work plans: Member States' work plans shall contain a detailed description of the following:

  • the format and time  data are to be delivered to end users, taking into consideration deadlines provided for data calls;
  • the type of data collected for control purposes and the type of data collected in the framework of the Regulation.

In preparing their work plan, Member States shall endeavour to cooperate closely with regional authorities and shall coordinate their efforts with other Member States, notably in the same marine region. Data collection activities and methods shall be such as to ensure that it is possible for data to be compared and integrated at least at regional level.

National correspondents: Member States shall ensure that their national correspondent is sufficiently trained and experienced, has a sufficient mandate to represent its Member State in the expert group meetings, and can negotiate on task sharing with regard to sampling, analysis and scientific surveys.

Coordination and cooperation: Member States shall make every effort to coordinate their actions with third countries which have sovereignty or jurisdiction over waters in the same marine region.

Members introduced an amendment defining the tasks of the Regional Co-ordination Groups so that they might plan their activities.

Approval of  work plans: the Commission shall adopt implementing acts approving the work plans by 31 December of the year preceding the year from which the work plan is to apply.

Access to the sampling sites and data sources: with regard to data collection, the Commission shall, five years from the entry into force of the Regulation, set up a single European database in order to simplify and facilitate data analysis at European level.

Collection of data in the context of scientific advice: when the Commission seeks scientific advice from a competent scientific body, it shall inform in due time the European Parliament and the Council and shall forward to them a copy of the request submitted to the scientific body concerned.