Activities of Grace O'SULLIVAN related to 2019/2158(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the impact on the fishing sector of offshore wind farms and other renewable energy systems
Amendments (40)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
— having regard to the Commission communication of 8 July 2020 on a Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe (COM(2020)301,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 b (new)
Citation 6 b (new)
— having regard to the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, set out in the Commission communication of 20 May 2020 entitled ‘EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 – Bringing nature back into our lives’ (COM(2020)0380),
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 c (new)
Citation 6 c (new)
— having regard to the Commission communication of 17 September 2020 ‘Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition – Investing in a climate-neutral future for the benefit of our people’ (COM(2020)0562),
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 d (new)
Citation 6 d (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 16 January 2018 on international ocean governance: an agenda for the future of our oceans in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 e (new)
Citation 6 e (new)
— having regard to the 2019 special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 f (new)
Citation 6 f (new)
— having regard to the Paris Agreement reached at the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21),
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 g (new)
Citation 6 g (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament adopted opinion on the European Climate Law1a, _________________ 1a P9_TA(2020)0253
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas it was agreed in the EU- UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement that EU fishing vessels would continue to have reciprocal access to UK waters and would therefore continue to share the European marine space which currently contains 110 offshore wind farms with more than 5 000 wind turbines;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (2014/89/EU) states that Member States must take into consideration the interactions of activities and uses such as aquaculture, fishing, and installations and infrastructures for the production of energy from renewable sources, as well as submarine cables, and promote the coexistence of relevant activities, and apply an ecosystem-based approach;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas around 80 % of all fishing companievessels in the EU are small-scale enterprivessels, with most being family-run businesses that go back generations, operating mainly in coastal waters;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas the European Union has failed to comply with the legal obligation to end overfishing by 2020;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
H b. whereas the 2030 EU biodiversity strategy calls for a legally binding objective to protect at least 30 % of the Union’s seas as Marine Protected Areas, and for 10 % of the Union's sea area to be strictly protected where no economic activities should take place; whereas in the remaining 20% of the designated MPAs economic activities could be allowed but only if compatible with both the climate targets of the Union and the conservation objectives, in particular of the area, according to the Birds and Habitats Directives and the 2020 Commission guidance on wind energy developments and EU Nature legislation1a; _________________ 1a Commission notice: Guidance document on wind energy developments and EU nature legislation, C(2020) 7730 final, 18.11.2020
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas, according to the 2020 EPRS study on the ‘Impact of the use of offshore wind and other marine renewables on European fisheries’, the cumulation of current and future offshore renewable developments has the biggest impact on affects mostly trawling fleets targeting mixed demersal species and crustaceans¸ whereas the composition of fishing effort varied greatly across fleets at individual planning sites; whereas bottom trawling has the biggest impact on the ocean seafloor;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. whereas the European Parliament demands that the Union’s 2030 target for climate shall be an economy-wide GHG emission reduction of 60 % compared to 1990;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is concerned about the negativepotential long-term impact that offshore wind turbines have in certain cases on ecosystems, fish stocks and biodiversity, and consequently on fisheries as a whole, over their life cycle, from construction through operation and decommissioning; recalls that these impacts can be strongly reduced by taking appropriate and widely applied measures;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recalls the EU’s commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse gases emissions target by 2050 at the latest; stresses that these emissions must be reduced by at least 65% by 2030 compared to 1990 emissions in order for the Union to contribute to limiting global warming to less than 1.5° C by the end of the century, in line with the latest scientific evidence;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Emphasises that renewable energy and energy efficiency are among the key drivers for reaching a net zero-emissions economy; highlights that in order to meet the 2030 renewable energy target, offshore renewable electricity infrastructure capacity and production need to be increased accordingly;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Highlights that without a rapid phase out of fossil fuels and increase in wind energy production, the realisation of renewable energy goals and limiting global warming to less than 1.5° C by the end of the century would be impossible; recalls that burning fossil fuels have negative impacts on marine life, including fish stocks, due to acidification of seas and oceans;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1 d. Highlights the important potential of renewable hydrogen, including from wind and solar energy, in reaching the Union’s climate neutrality objective;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1 e. Stresses that floating wind farms have the potential to be developed in deep water areas, which expands the viable zone for wind energy development while reducing visibility from shore; calls therefore on the Commission and Member States to support the upscale and commercialisation of sustainable floating offshore wind technology that reduces further the impact on fisheries;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the large-scale roll-out of offshore wind farms (OWFs) risks harm, in certain cases, affecting the physical functioning of the sea basin, in particular sea and air currents, which might contribute to a mixing of the stratified water column and consequently influence the nutrient cycle, wave generation, tidal amplitudes and bedload sediment transport, and the effects of these must be closely monitored, while infrasonic noise from rotating blades could chase fish away from OWFs, and electromagnetic fields from underwater cables, as well as underwater noise from pile driving, could have severe negative impacts on marine life if not mitigated;
Amendment 76 #
2 a. Notes the importance of implementing best practices in minimising disruption and mitigating damage to local ecosystems in the planning, operational and decommissioning stages of offshore activity;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Notes that the potential negative impact of OFWs on fisheries and the marine environment is much less significant than offshore oil and gas extraction which contribute to global warming while also potentially polluting surrounding waters;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that, if not strategically planned with a long-term perspective, potential artificial reef effects arcould be limited to the operational phase of an offshore wind turbine and that decommissioning may make any benefits temporary;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Proposes to assess the combination and integration of OWFs within maritimne protected areas (MPAs) against clearly defined climate, habitat and biodiversity conservation objectives, including those pertaining to fisheries resources, while excluding OWFs in protected areas designated hitherto as well as excluding any economic activity, also OWFs, in strictly protected areas;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. States that OWFs can have an impact on fisheries by changing the spatial distribution and abundance of commercially fished marine species as well as through their closure for safety reasons or the imposition of a change in fishing activity or method if regulated accordingly, for example from active to passive;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Stresses that the environmental, social and economic impact of OFWs depends on site specific conditions, ecosystems and human activities and that stakeholder collaboration in the design, implementation and management of OFW is key to resolving issues of common interest;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that small-scale fishing enterprisers will be particularly affected byin case of displacement as they may not have the capacity to move to fishing grounds further afield or to change fishing method; recommends therefore the exclusion of large scale vessels above 12 metres from inshore waters in order to mitigate the displacement effect on small-scale fishers;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that, in some cases, insurance for fishing vessels operating in wind farms is very problematic owing to the insufficient indemnity levels offered by fishing vessels’ insurance policies;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points out that any restriction on access to traditional fishing grounds directly affects the livelihoods of EU fishers and dependent jobs ashore, and that it undermines the responsible and sustainable provision of food security;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Stresses that the closure of OWFs to fisheries allows for the restoration of certain species, with knock-on and spill- over benefits for wider ecosystems and fishers;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that overlap analysis of offshore renewables and fisheries suggests a sharp increase in special conflict potential in European waters over the coming years, if not mitigated;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that the decommissioning of offshore wind turbines must neither generate enduring environmental impacts nor pose safety risks to fishing vessels due to any remaining sub-seabed infrastructure; recommends therefore that such areas either remain OWF through repowering or that decommissioned areas be designated as strictly protected areas to mitigate potential safety issues and preserve artificial reefs;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Highlights that assessments of the economic and socio-cultural effects of offshore renewables on fisheries are lacking in recent empirical studies; urges the Commission, therefore, to carry out further research looking beyondin addition to environmental impacts in order to assess the possible negative economic and social impacts on fisheries of investments in OWFs;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to improve on cross-border cooperation in Maritime Spatial Planning, including with the United Kingdom, the largest producer of offshore wind in Europe, in order to find solutions to common problems, integrate electricity connections and learn from best practices;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Highlights the importance of community energy production schemes which allow coastal communities and co- operatives, including fishers, to generate their own electricity and reinvest profits back into the community;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that OWFs should only be built if the exclusion ofin the development of OWFs the negative environmental and ecological, as well as economic and socio- cultural impacts is guaranteshould be minimised and where possible mitigated, in line with the objectives of the Blue Economy and the European Green Deal;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission to carry out an impact assessment to examine the expected economic, social and environmental consequences of constructing OWF facilities where they are likely to come into conflict with both the fishing sector and the sustainability of marine life, including considerations of the consequences of inaction with regard to climate change;