27 Amendments of Mélissa CAMARA related to 2024/0159M(NLE)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
– having regard to the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas scientists1a, 1b have been warning of the overexploitation of pelagics in this region, which are under constant pressure; _________________ 1a See report of the last scientific Committee: https://oceans-and- fisheries.ec.europa.eu/publications/report- tenth-meeting-joint-scientific-committee- eu-guinea-bissau-fisheries-partnership- agreement_en 1b CECAF 2022 analysis: https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/ core/bitstreams/462cc6c3-c8e3-494c- b1b3-c40ec9f03ebd/content
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the first fisheries agreement between the European Economic Community and Guinea-Bissau dates back to 1980; whereas the previous Protocol to the agreement expired on 14 June 2024; whereas the results achieved under the development cooperation component of the agreements (i.e. sectoral support) are not satisfactory overall; whereas improvements have nonetheless been recorded as regards capacity for fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance and sanitary inspection, as well as Guinea-Bissau’s involvement in regional fisheries bodies; whereas sectoral cooperation needs to be stepped up in order to better promote the development of the local fisheries sector and related industries and activities so as to ensure that a greater proportion of the added value created through exploitation of the country’s natural resources remains in Guinea- Bissau; whereas the Commission should increase accountability for sectoral aid to ensure that it is better targeted to local needs, and ensure greater transparency on how and where this support is allocated, so that the aid effectively contributes to sustainable development in partner countries;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas 2021 saw the start of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030); whereas third countries should be encouraged and helped to play a key role in connection with resource and ecosystem knowledge; whereas EU Member States should play a supportive role in this respect;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas there is a need to ensure that a greater proportion of the added value generated through exploitation of fishery resources in the Guinea-Bissau fishing zone remains in the country and enables local jobs, especially for women;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)
Recital O a (new)
Oa. whereas the 2022 Joint Communication on the EU’s International Ocean Governance agenda stated that ‘the EU is scaling up its efforts to tackle problems with Flag States acting as “open registers”, chosen by some vessel operators to take advantage of certain States’ weak compliance with international obligations or control over the vessels (fishing and maritime transport) registered under their flags’, and that it ‘is essential that the EU continues promoting beneficial ownership transparency of corporate structures, holding vessels registered within and outside the EU, to be in a position to identify those responsible for possible illegal activities or poor implementation of international and other obligations in the maritime, fisheries, environment, taxation, working conditions and labour rights areas and take the necessary measures’;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O b (new)
Recital O b (new)
Ob. whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly called for more information on beneficial ownership to be made public, recently in its two 2023 Own Initiative Reports titled ‘Report on the impact of illegal fishing on food security - The role of the European Union’ and ‘Report on the implications of Chinese fishing operations on EU fisheries and the way forward’, and lastly in its 2024 resolution titled ‘EU actions against the Russian shadow fleets and ensuring a full enforcement of sanctions against Russia’ calling to ‘reduce reliance on shell companies and flags of convenience, in order to improve vessel ownership transparency’;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital R
Recital R
R. whereas incorporation of the recommendations previously made by Parliament into the current Protocol was not entirely satisfactory;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital S
Recital S
S. whereas Parliament must be kept closely informvolved at all stages of the procedures concerning the Protocol or its renewal;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Supports the need to includeDemands that all actors in Guinea- Bissau’s fisheries sector be included throughout the process leading to an agreement, from the time of its drafting to when it is concluded and implemented, including as regards the use of sectoral support, and stresses the particularly important role of local cooperatives, representatives of local artisanal fishers and other stakeholders;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Deplores the fact that artisanal fishing communities were not consulted at any stage in the process of drawing up the new protocol;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that, in Article 3, the Protocol contains a non-discrimination clause whereby Guinea-Bissau undertakes not to grant more favourable technical conditions to other foreign fleets operating in Guinea-Bissau's fishing zone that have the same characteristics and target the same species; calls on the Commission to closely follow EU fisheries agreements with third countries in Guinea-Bissau's fishing zone; supports the Commission’s precautionary approach in setting TACs at 0 GRT for small-pelagic trawlers, but questions the ability of stakeholders to enforce an equivalent obligation for third- party-flagged fleets and fleets flagged to Guinea-Bissau with European beneficial owners;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls to act on the commitments enshrined in the 2022 Joint Communication on the EU’s International Ocean Governance agenda which aimed to tackle flags of convenience and promote beneficial ownership transparency and ensure concrete actions are included in the upcoming Ocean Pact;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the contribution of EU vessels to food security in Guinea-Bissau through direct landings, as specified in Chapter V of the Annex to the Protocol, for the benefit of local communities and to promote internal fish trade and consumption, while; deploringes the fact that the tonnage involved is low and endangers jobs in the fish processing sector;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b
Paragraph 8 – point b
(b) strengthen capacities to control and monitormonitoring, control and surveillance capabilities of fishing activities in order to prevent illegal, unregulaported and uncontrollregulated fishing; combat the risks associated with reflagging strategies by making flagging subject to sustainability criteria, ensuring full transparency in theimplement measures to prevent vessels previously flagged under flags of convenience, such as Cameroon, from registering under the Guinea-Bissau flag; require all vessels flagged to Guinea-Bissau to publicly disclose beneficial ownership information; and ensure full transparency throughout the registration process;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point g
Paragraph 8 – point g
(g) contribute to the good ecological condition of the marine environment, in particular by supporting the collection and recycling of waste and fishing gear by locall actors;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Expresses its concern at the growing number of fish meal and fish oil plants on the west African coast, which are also supplied with fish from Guinea-Bissau waters; underlines the fact that forage fishing runs counter to the principle of sustainability and providing valuable protein resources for the local community; welcomestakes note of the expansion of port and landing facilities in Guinea-Bissau, but isis extremely concerned that this will be followed by the construction of new fish meal plants; asks the Commission closely monitor the construction of such infrastructure and their impact on the marine environment;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that it would be usefulit necessary to compile information on the benefits that implementation of the Protocol brings to local economies (e.g. employment, infrastructure and social improvements);
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Urges that updated reports be published on the actions that have been given backing under sectoral support arrangements, with a view to greaterfull transparency;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Takes note of the article of the Financial Times from 15 August 2024 explaining how EU-owned vessels are registering with African fleets and operate under authorities with weaker standards or enforcement powers than the EU or to avoid local fishing laws that restrict foreign boats; notes that investigators found that 39 industrial fishing vessels that were flagged to Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau as of July 2024 despite having ownership or management links to European companies; underlines that over half of them were licensed to bring seafood into the EU; highlights that both EU-flagged and EU-owned vessels are fishing in the same waters, however not with the same standards: whereas the EU-flagged vessels cannot fish for small pelagic fish like sardinella in the waters of Guinea-Bissau because of overfishing, these EU-owned vessels are likely fishing these species; highlights that this is of concern as the fishing activities of these EU-owned vessels could undermine the efforts of the EU to fish within sustainable limits;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Asks for concrete legislation to be put forward to ensure that vessels that flag or reflag to another country while still being clearly linked to EU capital, ownership structure, or access to and selling their products on the EU market, do meet sustainability standards and do not unfairly compete with EU fishers that meet these standards;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Calls on the European Commission to prioritise tackling the issue of flags of convenience and to include addressing it in the upcoming Ocean Pact, where vessels reflag to countries with weak enforcement standards to with the aim to avoid stricter EU rules on fisheries monitoring and working conditions;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Urges the inclusmproved implementation of transparency provisions, in particular entailing publication of all agreements with states or private entities that have granted foreign vessels access to Guinea-Bissau’s EEZ; highlights that the ex-post and ex-ante evaluation in July 2023 stated that information on access agreements were shared with the European Commission but not made public;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Call on Member States to require their nationals to notify any ownership of vessels or companies (through joint ventures) in Guinea-Bissau that is developing into a fast-emerging flag of convenience;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Asks Member States to investigate and sanction any non-compliance with fishing laws of their nationals owning vessels flagged to non-EU countries; requests that Member States should exchange information with non-EU countries to identify offenders and exchange information to ensure deterrent sanctions are put in place for non- compliance;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
Paragraph 22 c (new)
22c. Demands that any EU interests in Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessels or companies be communicated to the European Commission and to Guinea Bissau, ensuring that any changes in ownership or control are promptly communicated to maintain transparency; demands further that any such changes be made public;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the Commission to make publicly available information provided under the aforementioned ‘transparency clause’;