The European Parliament adopted by 368 votes to 297, with 33 abstentions, a resolution objecting to the Commission delegated regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund as regards the periods of time and the dates for the inadmissibility of applications for support.
As a reminder, Article 11(4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 (EMFAF) empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts identifying the threshold for triggering the inadmissibility, which should be proportionate to the nature, gravity, duration and repetition of the serious infringements, offences or fraud committed and should be of at least one year’s duration.
Commission Delegated Regulation 2015/288 supplementing the Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund with regard to the period of time and the dates for the inadmissibility of applications provides for a period of 12 months of inadmissibility in case of nine points of infraction, and in the case of infringements deemed ‘minor’ the inadmissibility is triggered only when nine points are reached.
In support of its objection, Parliament argued that the Commission's delegated regulation to supplement EMFAF worsens worsens these conditions as the inadmissibility is triggered at the second infringement with only seven points and is calculated in two months/point which seems not proportionate and not in line with EMFAF.
Members consider that the Commission should propose an alternative and more proportionate solution regarding the duration of the inadmissibility period based on points. A more proportionate solution could be to provide for the first two infringements only one month of inadmissibility instead of two for each point in the case of certain infringements.