Progress is being recorded in the evaluation of the regulation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), but greater progress had been expected, with the competent EU Ministers underlining the need to determine the way forward without further delay, EU Commissioner for Fisheries, Costas Kadis, and Cyprus’ Environment Minister, Maria Panayiotou, said on Tuesday following the informal meeting of EU Fisheries Ministers held in Nicosia.
In light of the evaluation, a number of long-standing issues that continue to strongly concern the fisheries sector were reaffirmed, such as the need for simplification, the reduction of administrative burden, better enforcement of rules, strengthening competitiveness, and maintaining the delicate balance between the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the CFP, Panayiotou said during the press conference after the informal meeting.
During the proceedings, Kadis presented the results of the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation, while Member States expressed their initial reactions to the evaluation.
‘I would say that the key message is twofold. On the one hand, there is clear progress. The Common Fisheries Policy, following its reform in 2013, has delivered positive results,’ Kadis said at the press conference. Specifically, he noted that overfishing is decreasing and the proportion of stocks being fished at sustainable levels is increasing, from 50% in 2014 to 63% in 2022.
The Commissioner said that ‘it is not enough. We expected greater progress’. ‘We have not reached the desired goal of full recovery of fish stocks, and we cannot overlook the major challenges facing the fisheries sector in the European Union. We have an ageing fleet. We face high energy costs and rising operating expenses. The need for generational renewal is immediate, while small-scale fisheries require targeted support,’ he said.
He noted that these issues were highlighted both by the evaluation and by the interventions of Member State representatives. ‘Profitability falls short of expectations and, combined with funding constraints, slows down the modernisation and competitiveness of the fleet. There is also a need to simplify the regulatory framework and to strengthen aquaculture,’ he added.
In her own remarks, Minister Panayiotou said that a ‘constructive and useful’ discussion took place, which was ‘only the beginning of a broader process of reflection and policy guidance’.
‘This is a particularly important study, as the last substantial revision of the Common Fisheries Policy took place 13 years ago, and today we are called upon to assess whether the CFP continues to effectively meet the objectives and the contemporary needs of the sector,’ Panayiotou said.
She noted that the evaluation was the result of work and analysis by experts, who examined the implementation of the policy, its weaknesses, challenges, and prospects. For this reason, she said, ‘it is important to carefully study its conclusions and compare them with what Member States and the Council have long pointed out regarding the changes required’.
She added that it was recognised that, while the evaluation confirms the importance of the CFP as a policy framework, it also highlights that key implementation mechanisms have not fully delivered the expected results, ‘which shifts the discussion towards the effectiveness of the tools and rules in practice’.
‘It is also particularly important to examine how the experts’ recommendations can help address the weaknesses and challenges currently facing the sector, so that the CFP remains a modern, effective and resilient policy instrument for the future,’ she added.
In this context, she said, Ministers underlined the need to proceed with a structured and clear process for examining the findings and determining the way forward ‘without further delay.’
Today’s discussion constitutes the first important step, Panayiotou said they will continue this discussion at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in June, where, based on a more in-depth examination of the evaluation, ‘we will seek to provide the necessary political guidance on how to proceed, in order to shape a Common Fisheries Policy that is more effective, more realistic and closer to the needs of the European fisheries sector and our coastal communities’.
Kadis said that consultations would also take place with sector representatives, non-governmental organisations, and all relevant stakeholders, ‘so that we can take the right decisions for the future of the Common Fisheries Policy.’
He noted that the organisation of the informal Ministerial Meeting by Cyprus was ‘exemplary.’
Conflicts in region affect fisheries sector
Responding to a journalist’s question as to whether conflicts in the region have affected fisheries, Kadis said they have ‘certainly’ impacted the sector. ‘We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis,’ he said, noting that he is in contact with and has held meetings with sector representatives.
‘Unfortunately, it appears that the crisis has created significant pressures on the sector. In some cases, fuel costs, which are the main operating cost for fisheries, have increased by more than 50%, with the result that vessels which were operating with limited profit margins are no longer viable and have ceased their activities,’ he said.
‘This, as you understand, has knock-on effects throughout the entire food supply chain, as well as in our coastal areas,’ he continued. He noted that this was also why the European Commission ‘reacted swiftly’ and activated the crisis mechanism under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, through which Member States are given the possibility to use resources from the fund in a flexible way to provide targeted support to the fishers most affected during the crisis period.
Replying to another question on invasive species and whether the damage was reversible, Kadis noted that invasive species were ‘a huge challenge’ for Mediterranean ecosystems and for Mediterranean fishers. They outcompete our native species, they change the characteristics of the ecosystems, and they pose a threat to the income of our fishers’, he said, adding the Commission’s focus was to turn the challenge to opportunity. ?his has been done with the lionfish, and with other invasive species, he said.
Kadis said he could not predict whether the ecosystem would recover, but he assured that ‘the EU will support activities through research and innovation for the restoration of our ecosystems’. He noted that there are many ongoing EU-funded projects, mainly through ‘Horizon Europe’, but also through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund.