Amendment to regulations concerning international fisheries (NAFO, SPRFMO, IOTC, WCPFC, IATTC and ICCAT)

Key points

The EESC:

• considers it necessary for the conservation and control measures adopted by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) to be transposed into EU law, respecting the principles and objectives of the common fisheries policy and avoiding overlaps or inconsistencies between regulations. It is essential to harmonise these measures in order to ensure that management measures in the field of international fisheries are effective;

• supports the Commission proposal, pointing out that the EESC has consistently expressed support for similar initiatives in its previous opinions;

• firmly supports the need to move towards further simplifying regulations, effectively reducing the administrative burden, and speeding up procedures. It welcomes the initiative of this omnibus proposal, which is a step in the right direction;

• believes that any transposition must be carried out without the EU adding obligations that have not been agreed for its own fleet;

• underlines that the current proposal lacks an efficient mechanism to automatically transpose certain rules adopted by RFMOs. The current system requires regular amendment of regulations by means of lengthy and complex legislative procedures, resulting in longer transposition of international standards;

• warns, once again, that pursuing the route of a regulation could lead to conflicting rules or, at the very least, periods of legal uncertainty for administrations and even businesses themselves. Furthermore, it can generate distortion in the application of measures with regard to non-EU fleets;

• reiterates its recommendation to explore the feasibility of establishing a fast-track procedure allowing certain technical measures adopted by RFMOs to enter into force immediately by means of a mechanism for automatic transposition subject to conditions;

• calls on the Commission, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the New York Agreement on the Conservation and Management of Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, to step up cooperation and coordination with all countries whose fleets exploit these stocks, both through bilateral frameworks and within RFMOs. The Committee stresses the importance of ensuring a level playing field, avoiding any double standards that could harm European operators committed to complying with international standards.