EU: The future of the EU fishing fleet: First assessment of Member States’ EMFAF programmes for 2021-27. Part I: Synopsis

Project Background: 

The PECH Committee of the European Parliament discussed how the current European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and its potential successors can help to shape the future of the EU fishing fleet in a positive way. The analyses focused on three specific articles of the EMFAF Regulation: Article 17 on 'first acquisition of a fishing vessel', Article 18 on 'replacement or modernisation of a main or ancillary engine' and Article 19 on 'increase of gross tonnage to improve safety, working conditions or energy efficiency'.

To this end, the European Parliament commissioned four studies to be prepared by independent researchers, of which COFAD dealt with the “Synopsis on coastal Member States (Part I)”. This part provides a general overview of the EMFAF Regulation and outlines the state of implementation of the national programmes.

Objectives:

The primary aim of the project is to provide an overview of the EMFAF Regulation and of the national operational programmes in terms of their potential impact on the future of the EU fishing fleet. In particular, the following specific objectives had to be fulfilled:

1. Outline the EMFAF priorities and specific objectives, as well as its design allowing more flexibility for Member States in defining their own measures than under the previous EMFF rules. Describe the conditions for investments in the fishing fleet supported by the EMFAF and the specific eligibility for EMFAF Articles 17, 18 and 19.
2.  Draw a general picture of the fishing fleets of the coastal Member States and highlight the main segments of these fleets concerned by the measures related to Articles 17, 18 and 19.
3.  Provide an overview of the EMFAF programmes 2021-2027 of the coastal Member States, with a view to showing how they planned to implement the EMFAF Articles 17, 18 and 19.
4.  Identify best practices of implementation and discuss possible general adjustments of the provisions of the EMFAF funding period post-2027 
5. Provide policy recommendations taking into account the results of the overview as well as the conclusions of the case studies for Spain, France and the Netherlands. These recommendations should be relevant to EU decision-making, focussing on the role and competences of the European Parliament.

Activities and/or Results

• Analysis of relevant regulations
• Analysis of the fishing fleets of coastal EU Member States
• Analysis of the implementation of the EMFAF
• Conducting of stakeholder interviews
• Elaboration of policy recommendations
• Presentation of the results of a workshop of the PECH Committee of the European Parliament

The study concludes that the eligibility rules for Articles 17, 18 and 19 of the EMFAF are restrictive, that Member States plan to make only limited use of these options, and that implementation commenced slowly.

Future support in these fields should be less restrictive and possible negative effects should be avoided by other means.

The full study is available here.