Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-18-Speech-3-275"
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"en.20080618.24.3-275"2
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"Mr President, I would like to thank the chairman of the Committee on Fisheries, Mr Morillon, for his question, which gives me the opportunity to address the fuel crisis.
A number of specific initiatives to promote the value of fish at the first point of sale are also envisaged, and the Commission is planning to set aside an additional EUR 20-25 million from the CFP budget to fund ad hoc projects in this area, in addition to the funds available under the EFF. Further measures are planned to encourage the shift to energy-saving technologies, cushion the socioeconomic impact of the crisis, and facilitate the reprogramming and the disbursement of EFF funds.
The above measures will consist of temporary derogations from the rules of the European Fisheries Fund so as to support faster adaptation of the EU fleet to the present situation and provide temporary relief during the transitional phase.
I will be presenting this package to the Council of Fisheries Ministers in Luxembourg on 24 June with the intention of adopting a formal proposal on this subject as early as July. Given the exceptional situation being faced by the fisheries sector I trust I can count on the support of both the Council and the Parliament to adopt the said measures as speedily as possible.
I would like to say at the outset that I am pleased to see the existing very good relations between the Commission and the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament moving from strength to strength.
Turning to the specific question, I am aware of the difficulties the fishing sector is going through as a result of the steep increase in the price of fuel. This increase constitutes a crisis which is structural and long-lasting and which takes on a very particular – I would be tempted to say even unique – dimension with regard to fisheries. Let me say why.
For many years, the EU fleet has suffered from a vicious circle of overcapacity, over-fishing, and declining profitability. At the same time, fishermen have been unable to benefit from reduced supply and rising retail prices for fish products. As a result, margins in many segments are wafer-thin, making the sector more vulnerable than others to a drastic rise in costs, such as we have seen with the price of oil.
The Commission understands the need for coordinated action at EU level to avert a serious crisis for the industry, and to ensure that the problem is not simply displaced but really tackled head-on. This means not only providing the possibility of emergency relief, but also committing to finally addressing the underlying issue of overcapacity, which is undermining all our attempts to get the industry back on a sustainable and profitable footing.
For these reasons, as Mr Morillon pointed out, the College yesterday approved in principle the contents of an emergency package of measures to tackle the immediate social and economic hardship triggered by the dramatic rise in the price of oil while also tackling the underlying structural problems of the European fleet. I believe that it is vital to focus aid on the fleets which are most dependent on fuel and thus most affected by the current overcapacity.
We therefore propose that Member States can set up Fleet Adjustment Schemes (FAS), under which limitations on access to permanent cessation – i.e. scrapping – premiums will be lifted. Additional aid for temporary cessation would be available for vessels involved in these Fleet Adjustment Schemes and partial decommissioning aid would be granted to operators who replace larger old vessels with smaller, more energy-efficient ones. There would also be provisions to allow for temporary reductions in employees’ contributions to social security payments.
More specifically, temporary cessation aid would be available for all vessels for up to three months throughout the remainder of 2008, on condition that the vessels in question be included in a restructuring plan. Such aid will be tailored to ensure that it supports stock recovery and/or marketing conditions, whenever possible.
Based on further economic analyses, possible modifications to the
regime for fisheries will also be considered, so that the ceiling of EUR 30 000 per three years would be applied per vessel, rather than per firm – though with an overall cap of EUR 100 000 per firm."@en1
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