CFP Reform

CFP ReformImplementation of the Landings Obligation: Context and Process

The Key Legal ProvisionsCommon Fisheries Policy – Basic

RegulationCommon Organisation of the Markets in

Fisheries and Aquaculture ProductsEuropean Maritime and Fisheries Fund

Focus today on the Basic Regulation only

Reform Package – Basic RegulationA brief history.........

Proposals:

• Green Paper in 2009

• Original Commission proposal (2011)

• “General Approach” in Council (Feb 2013)

• European Parliament amendments (Feb

2013)

• Trilogues (March - May 2013)

• Deal???? (June 2013) – to be finalised

Key ContentRegionalisationElimination of discardsMaximum Sustainable YieldCoherence with environmental legislation.ScienceExternal DimensionAquaculture

Discards

Objective - Elimination of discards.

• Progressively implemented landing

obligations (discard bans).

• Detailed rules/quota provisions to aid

implementation.

• Specifics can be set out in EU plans, or in

detailed technical measures, but landing

obligations / deadlines apply in any event.

Regionalisation

• Member States and Advisory Councils to

work together to develop detailed technical

measures.

• Multiannual plans would set direction.

Regions have the opportunity to agree

management detail.

• New routes to give measures legal effect.

Regionalisation (continued)• Where Member States agree detailed measures for

a fishery, option to enact quickly in EU law, or

potentially national measures.

• Cooperation between Member States and relevant

Advisory Councils.

• More responsive than co-decision.

• Coordinated management without delegating legal

power to Commission.

Multiannual Plans• Multiannual plans consistent with general

CFP objectives.

• Either single species or mixed fisheries

plans, with adjustments to achieve MSY.

• Mandatory content – e.g. Quantifiable

targets and safeguards.

• Optional content – detailed conservation

measures, discard provisions etc

Maximum Sustainable YieldBy 2015 where possible, 2020 in any event.Legally binding exploitation target, Biomass

aspiration.

Integration with Environmental Policy

• Member States propose, but enacted via

regionalised process, Commission powers in

some cases, or full co-decision.

• Protected areas and establishment of Fish

Stock Recovery Areas

Environmental Integration.

Access & Fishing Opportunities• Access provisions continue – i.e. access to all

waters, subject to 0-12 arrangements.

• Fishing opportunities remain allocated by

Member States; explicit criteria

• MSs can choose Transferable Fishing

Concessions as an option

• MS reporting on capacity, action plan and

“adjustments” where necessary.

External Dimension

Principles guiding third country agreements

and other external EU engagement :

•Same principles of sustainability inside and

outside EU waters.

•More transparent agreements, based on

science.

•Coherence with development aims.

External Dimension

Aquaculture

• New Advisory Council for aquaculture.

• Encouraging sustainable aquaculture, and

national “strategic plans”

Aquaculture

Control & Enforcement

• Emphasis on coordination, cost-efficiency,

culture of compliance and effective

sanctions.

• Financial assistance conditional on

compliance with CFP’s rules.

• EMFF (to be finalised) – to support

implementation of reformed CFP.

Co-ordination, Compliance, Finance

Discards (the detail)

• Landing obligations for all quota stocks

• Deadlines:

o Pelagics [no later than 1 Jan 2015]

o Listed whitefish stocks, defined by fishery

[2016-2018]

o Remainder [2017-2019]

Discards – the detail

Discards (Continued)

• Catch limits control what can be caught, not what

can be landed.

• Quotas should be adjusted accordingly, but remain

in place.

• Technical rules conflicting with landing obligation

reviewed/removed.

• Reduce unwanted catch in first instance –

selectivity, spatial measures, optimising use of

quota.

Discards (Continued)

Exemptions:

• Species for which fishing is prohibited;

• Species for which scientific evidence demonstrates

high survival rates;

• De minimis exemption [5% after transition period]

o Where evidence shows selectivity very difficult;

o To avoid disproportionate costs in limited cases.

Discards (Continued)

Quota provisions:

• Deducting unwanted catch from target species (not

more than 9% of quota for target species).

• Year-to-year flexibility of 10% of quota.

• International swapping between MSs.

Discards (Continued)

Controls:

• Full documentation of catches (including CCTV

and/or other methods).

• Minimum conservation reference sizes, where

appropriate, fish below used only for non-human

consumption.

Implementation

What is it that we have to do?

• There is substantial change ahead but crucially

flexibility on how to deliver.

• Undertaking a detailed analysis of these new

provisions.

• Determine exactly what we have to do, by when,

who needs to be involved, our options and what

the respective roles and responsibilities could be.

Implementation

Thank you to Defra for helping me put this together.