BETA

53 Amendments of João FERREIRA related to 2009/2106(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 13 January 2009 on the CFP and the ecosystem approach to fisheries management,

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Recital -A a (new)

- Aa. having regard to the strategic importance of the fisheries sector for supplies of fish to the public and the food balance in both the Member States and the EU as such, as well as its major contribution to the socio-economic wellbeing of coastal communities, local development, employment, the preservation and creation of economic activity upstream and downstream, the supply of fresh fish, and the preservation of local cultural traditions,

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the ~~European Union (EU) is an entity governed by international law which, in keeping with the provisions of its Treaties an~~CFP must take account of the marked differences that exist between fleets, fleet segments, target species, fishing gear, productivity, consumption preferences and the fish consumed oper~~ating rules, is specifically intended to guarantee economic, social and political integration of its policies, including the CFP,~~ capita in the various EU Member States, in addition to the special features of fishing activity stemming from its social structure and structural and natural imbalances between the various fishing regions,

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas there is a clear disparity in the income level of people living from fishing by comparison with other sections of the population; whereas it is necessary to guarantee an equitable standard of living, particularly by increasing their individual earnings,

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)

Eb. having regard to the insecure situation of incomes and wages affecting fisheries professionals, arising from the way marketing is structured in the sector, the price formation process for the initial point of sale, and the irregular nature of the activity, all of which points to the need to maintain certain national and Community aids,

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

Ma. whereas action to promote the sustained development of a given region should enhance the interaction between its natural environmental and human components and promote the quality of life of its coastal communities; whereas a policy for fisheries must start from the assumption of interdependence between the welfare of these communities and the sustainability of ecosystems of which they are an integral part,

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Recital N

N. whereas it is now generally accepted that there are alternative fisheries management mechanisms which can usefully supplement the existing systems and play a significant role in the Community’s management of the sectora common fisheries policy (CFP) should bear responsibility for financing its costs, in particular the decisions and measures adopted as part of that policy,

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)

Na. whereas the activity of the fishing industry is concentrated above all in economically fragile regions - the majority of them Objective 1 regions - and the crisis situation in the industry is having a profound impact on the economic and social cohesion of these regions,

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Recital Q a (new)

Qa. whereas the Commission has already acknowledged that products have entered the Community market which do not respect the minimum sizes laid down in the EU, notably thanks to the failure to implement the marketing rules for frozen products,

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Welcomes also the two main principles set out by the Commission with a view to an effective and successful reform of the CFP, namely the need to give more responsibility to the sector, base~~Reaffirms that fishing is a fundamental activity for guaranteeing the food supply to the public, and con ~~the establishment of conditions favourable to good fishing practice and to make management models more flexible in order to create alternatives to the traditional single system of TACs and quotas~~siders that this is the primordial aim of any and every fisheries policy;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Reiterates that the CFP should promote the modernisation and sustainable development of the fishing industry, safeguarding its socio-economic viability and the sustainability of fisheries resources, with the aim of guaranteeing the supply of fish to the public and food sovereignty and security, the preservation of jobs and improved living conditions for fishermen, and ensuring the sustained development of coastal areas that depend most heavily on fishing;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that ~~the current CFP is one of the most integrated Community policies, which gives the Community broad powers for the management of marine resources~~, in some Member States, rights of sovereignty over their territorial waters, exclusive economic zones and sea beds are enshrined in the Constitution;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses that marine resources are a common public asset that cannot be privatised and whose management is a matter for each Member State;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Believes that any and every fisheries policy should take account of a multitude of dimensions - social, environmental and economic - that require an integrated and balanced approach that is incompatible with a vision that creates a hierarchy among them according to an a priori definition of priorities;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Stresses that seeking to meet the food needs of each Member State, safeguarding the viability of the strategic fishing industry and fishing communities and preserving the sustainability of marine ecosystems are not irreconcilable objectives;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that, notwithstanding the degree of complexity of some procedures for modifying fisheries management models and the difficulties, in particular legal problems, which may appear in this process, these and not insuperable, as shown by the successful application of other management models in other parts of the world, such as transmissible fishery rights;deleted

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Stresses that scientific fisheries research is an essential tool for fisheries management that is indispensable for identifying the factors that influence the development of fishery resources, carrying out a quantitative assessment and developing models that make it possible to forecast their development, but also for improving fishing gear, vessels and working and safety conditions for fishermen, in conjunction with their knowledge and experience;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19b. Points out that scientific research should take account of the social, environmental and economic components of fishing activity; considers it essential to assess the impact of the various fisheries management systems/instruments on employment and income in fishing communities;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19c. Considers, in this connection, that it is necessary to invest in training for human resources, provide adequate financial resources and promote cooperation between the various public bodies in the Member States;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)

19d. Stresses the need to provide appropriate working conditions, decent rights and pay for researchers and technical experts involved in scientific fisheries research;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Title before Paragraph 20

~~Profitability and professional advancement~~Income and status of fishing

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Stresses how important the fishing industry is in the socio-economic situation, in employment and in promoting economic and social cohesion in the ORs, whose economies suffer from permanent structural constraints and limited possibilities for economic diversification;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Considers it necessary to maintain and step up Community support for the fishing industries in the outermost regions, with particular reference to the programme for compensating the additional costs arising from their remote status in relation to the marketing of certain fisheries products in a number of outermost regions ('POSEI Fisheries'); believes, in this connection, that this programme should continue in force indefinitely, since outermost status is a permanent factor;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Regrets that the Commission, even though it recognises some problems, insists on covering up the actual chief causes of the worsening socio-economic situation in the sector: the increased price of inputs (such as fuel) and the inadequate pricing of fish at first sale;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)

25b. Regrets the Commission's decision to postpone presentation of its proposal for the revision of the COM for fisheries and aquaculture products, making it subject to a decision on the reform of the CFP which, it might be recalled, is not scheduled until 2012;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)

25c. Believes that it is necessary, as a matter of urgency, to carry out a far- reaching revision of the COM for fisheries products in order to boost its contribution to guaranteeing earnings in the sector, ensuring market stability, improving the marketing of fisheries products and increasing the value added generated;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 d (new)

25d. Calls for mechanisms to be created to improve the price at first sale so as to benefit fishermen, boosting the return for their work, and to promote the fair and appropriate distribution of value added over the value chain in the sector, reducing the margins for middlemen, ensuring better prices for the producer and controlling price levels for the end- consumer; reaffirms the need to consider adopting other types of intervention, similar to guarantee prices or maximum profit thresholds, with a view to achieving the above objectives;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 e (new)

25e. Stresses the need to treat production costs as one of the variables to be taken into account when setting guidance prices;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Reiterates the need to provide for strict monitoring and certification of fishery products entering the Community market, including imports, in order to ascertain that they come from sustainable fisheries and, as far as imported products are concerned, satisfy the requirements imposed on Community products, for example with regard to labelling, traceability, phytosanitary rules and minimum sizes, the aim being to create a level playing field on the Community market;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28a. Points out that, since fishing is an activity that exploits a self-renewable resource, the first and principal task of fisheries management is directly or indirectly to control total fishing effort in such a way as to achieve the objective of guaranteeing the supply of fish to the public within a framework of resource sustainability;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)

28b. Stresses that the management of marine resources falls within the competence of each individual Member State;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31a. Supports the principle of local, decentralised management that takes account of the actual situation and particular characteristics of each country, each fishing zone, each fleet and each resource and, above all, that involves fishermen in the solutions and in the implementation of policies;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 b (new)

31b. Considers it important to have more debate and analysis regarding the possible decentralisation of the CFP, with the participation of all stakeholders at institutional and sectoral level;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 c (new)

31c. Disagrees with a simplistic vision of the concept of 'decentralisation' that regards it as a mere delegation of powers in relation to the enforcement/implementation of centrally defined policies; rejects a still greater reduction in Community support for the fisheries sector by virtue of this decentralisation;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. ~~Urges the Commission to carefully explore the possibility of adop~~Recognises that, despite the difficulties, the existing ~~new~~ fisheries management ~~mechanism~~instruments, bas opposed to the TAC and quota system, for example fishing effort management and the use of transferable fishing rights, since such arrangements would enable the fleet to be adapted in a more flexible way, in line with the actual diversity and distribution of stocks, and could be supported by structural implementing measures, without neglecting the more vulnerable small-scale sectored on total allowable catches (TACs), currently represent the best means of controlling total fishing effort, to the extent that they have a direct impact on catches and an indirect impact on fishing effort;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32a. Stresses that the distribution of TACs by fleets and fishing gear, respecting the principle of relative stability, falls within the exclusive competence of each Member State; considers that the distribution of quotas in each Member State should take account of the type of gear (trawl and others) and the respective catches;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)

32b. Considers it important to look into ways of improving the current management instruments (TACs) in order to introduce greater flexibility and adapt them to the different circumstances;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 c (new)

32c. Rejects any attempt to modify the system for managing the Common Fisheries Policy that would introduce, in phases or otherwise, a Community system based on fishing rights, i.e. the creation of private ownership rights over access to the exploitation of this public asset;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 d (new)

32d. Points out that the reduction and concentration of quotas among a limited number of operators does not necessarily mean a reduction in fishing effort, but merely the concentration of fishery resource exploitation;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 e (new)

32e. Takes the view that the greater the level of participation, the clearer the objectives and the more economic and social support is provided to those affected, the greater will be the understanding, acceptance and implementation of the various measures for managing fishery resources; stresses the need to implement mechanisms for subsidising or compensating fishermen affected by the economic and social repercussions of multiannual recovery and management plans and ecosystem protection measures;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 f (new)

32f. Considers it insufficient to measure fishing effort in a uniform way, without taking account of the diversity of fleets and gear; considers that controlling fishing effort should take account of the various species, the various fishing gear and the assessed impact of catches on stocks of each species;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 g (new)

32g. Considers it vital to maintain the access derogation to the zone falling within territorial waters for national fleets at at least 12 miles, as a way of fostering the sustainability of coastal marine ecosystems, traditional fishing activities and the survival of fishing communities; calls, therefore, for this principle to be permanent in nature;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 h (new)

32h. Takes the view that the exclusive access zone for national fishermen from each Member State could be extended to adjacent areas in line with continental shelves;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 i (new)

32i. Calls for the area corresponding to the EEZs of the outermost regions to be considered an ‘exclusive access zone’ on a permanent basis in order to guarantee the sustainability of marine ecosystems, fishing activity and local fishing communities;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 j (new)

32j. Stresses that the management of the exclusive access zone is a matter for each Member State;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. MaPoint~~ains~~s out that regional umbrella organisations, staffed by representatives of the Member States, the sector, other stakeholders, and the scientific community, should set up to exercise management decision-making power and that the RACs, playing their advisory role, should be merged with them; believes that these bodies, working in conjunction, would make for genuine and effective decentralisation of management, in keeping with the Treaty and without undermining the general aims and principles laid down by the Community legislatureadvisory councils can play an important role in the CFP decision-making process, since they involve fishermen and researchers responsible for the assessment of fishery resources; considers it important to support fishermen in their training and organisation, enabling them to play an effective part in both the RACs and POs or other forms of association;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Title after Paragraph 35 (new)

Financing

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35a. Stresses that a Common Fisheries Policy presupposes fair Community financing with the aim of guaranteeing that aquatic resources are exploited in a way that safeguards sustainability in economic, environmental and social terms; rejects any attempt to renationalise the costs of the CFP;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 b (new)

35b. Takes the view that the consecutive reductions in Community support for the sector fixed in the current multiannual financial framework 2007-2013, in particular the reduction in appropriations for the European Fisheries Fund and the common organisation of the market, are among the factors that have contributed to the worsening of the situation in the sector; calls for Community financial resources for the fisheries sector to be increased;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 c (new)

35c. Stresses that the principle of convergence in the allocation of structural and cohesion funds, including the EFF, should be maintained, in accordance with the solidarity principle and economic and social cohesion;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 d (new)

35d. Stresses the need for the EFF to continue to grant aid for the renewal and modernisation of fishing fleets, in particular for the replacement of engines, for reasons of safety, environmental protection or fuel efficiency, above all for small-scale inshore and artisanal fishing, and for the replacement of vessels over 20 years old, which are no longer operating safely;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46

46. ~~Is convinced that real integration of the CFP in~~Stresses that, taking account of its own objectives whilst acknowledging the need for suitable linkage between different policies that have an impact on the marine environment, a CFP must not be subordinate to othe ~~IMP requires political will and that national, regional, and local fishing entities are willing to enter into the necessary commitments~~r Community policies that have since been defined; considers, on the contrary, that these latter policies must safeguard and integrate the objectives of fisheries policy;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)

46a. Highlights the need to define adequate financial resources for the IMP and reiterates the principle that new priorities must be matched by new funding; rejects the notion that the IMP should be financed from the EFF;

2009/12/17
Committee: PECH