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DRAFT REPORT (COM(2023)0362 – C90221/2023 – 2023/0206(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down conservation, management and control measures applicable in the area covered by the Convention on future multilateral cooperation in the North-East Atlantic fisheries, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1899/85 and Regulation (EU) No 1236/2010

PECH-PR-756019

Committee on Fisheries · Rapporteur: Francisco Guerreiro

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This is the rapporteur's draft report on the Commission proposal to put North-East Atlantic fisheries conservation, management and control measures into EU law. It adopts a first-reading position and proposes five amendments to the Commission's text. The amendments change the regulation's relationship with existing fisheries rules, rename 'garbage' as 'waste' and make masters legally responsible for not abandoning gear or discharging waste, and add a 10-tonne threshold to camera surveillance at landing facilities. The rapporteur welcomes the proposal, saying NEAFC recommendations should be transposed into EU law quickly to ensure sustainable use of marine resources and a level playing field. The rapporteur highlights the Common Fisheries Policy's environmental commitments in non-EU waters and the need to follow regional fisheries management organisation rules. The report notes that in 2022 the Union had 301 vessels authorised to fish in the NEAFC Regulatory Area, though most activity is concentrated in Union waters, and that Title III implements November 2022 consultations on pelagic stock control measures, with camera and sensor surveillance applying from 1 January 2026.

Committee position. The rapporteur welcomes the proposal and proposes five amendments: on the regulation's relationship with existing fisheries rules, on waste terminology and masters' responsibility, on a 10-tonne threshold for surveillance, and on delegated act wording.

Key points

  1. Parliament adopts its first-reading position on the Commission proposal on North-East Atlantic fisheries measures.
  2. The Commission is asked to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces or substantially amends its proposal.
  3. Amendment 1 changes Article 1(2) so the regulation applies notwithstanding, rather than without prejudice to, existing fisheries regulations.
  4. Amendment 2 renames the title of Article 11 from 'Garbage at sea and retrieval of lost gear' to 'Waste at sea and retrieval of lost gear'.
  5. Amendment 3 makes masters of Union fishing vessels legally responsible for ensuring they do not deliberately abandon or discard fishing gear or discharge any kind of waste into the sea, in line with MARPOL Annex V.
  6. Amendment 4 adds that camera and sensor surveillance at landing and processing facilities applies to landings exceeding 10 tonnes of the species referred to in Article 48.
  7. Amendment 5 changes the wording of Article 54(1) on delegated acts concerning measures adopted by NEAFC from 'concerning' to 'with regard to'.
  8. The rapporteur welcomes the proposal and calls for the transposition of all NEAFC recommendations into EU law to be completed expeditiously.
  9. The rapporteur says incorporating NEAFC recommendations aligns EU vessels with international commitments and supports cooperation against overfishing and protection of vulnerable species and ecosystems.
  10. The rapporteur stresses the Common Fisheries Policy's environmental commitments in non-EU waters and adherence to regional fisheries management organisation rules.
  11. The report notes that in 2022 the Union had 301 fishing vessels authorised in the NEAFC Regulatory Area, with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia most active in the Barents Sea and most fishing concentrated in Union waters.
  12. Title III implements the November 2022 consultations on control measures for pelagic stocks, including camera and sensor surveillance at facilities weighing more than 3,000 tonnes per year, applicable from 1 January 2026.

Who is affected

  • Masters of Union fishing vessels, who would be legally responsible for not abandoning gear or discharging waste.
  • Port Member States, which must ensure camera and sensor surveillance at landing and processing facilities.
  • EU fishing vessels operating in the NEAFC Regulatory Area, which must follow the transposed measures.
  • The Commission, which would be empowered to adopt delegated acts on NEAFC measures.

Figures and deadlines

  • more than 3,000 tonnes per year — threshold for species weighed at facilities requiring surveillance.
  • 10 tonnes — threshold for landings subject to camera and sensor surveillance under Amendment 4.
  • 301 fishing vessels — Union vessels authorised to operate in the NEAFC Regulatory Area in 2022.
  • 1 January 2026 — date of applicability of the agreed surveillance measures.
  • November 2022 — date of the fisheries consultations on pelagic stock control measures.

Legal basis: Article 294(2) and Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.