Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EC, Denmark and Greenland

In a report by Joop POST (EPP-ED, NL), MEPs adopted amendments to the Commission proposal concerning the compensation involving fishing opportunities and the right to adjust the quotas after 2010 in case they are found not to be in line with the EU’s own policy on sustainability.

 

In order to evaluate whether the compensation paid by the EU is properly accounted for and does in fact promote the sustainable use of fishery resources in Greenland, the Commission should report annually to the Parliament. MEPs also add that vessels that do not comply with the most basic requirement, reporting what they catch, should not benefit from financial support from the EU.

 

The proposed new Fisheries Partnership Agreement, which will be valid for a period of six years, beginning on 1 January 2007, differs from the previous agreement in a number of ways. The changes can be summarised as:

 

– reduction of the redfish, Greenland halibut East and snow crab quota in accordance with the scientific advice;

– increase in the quotas of Greenland halibut West of 1.000 tonnes and the shrimp East by 1.325 tonnes;

– removal of the direct fishery for roundnose grenadier in accordance with scientific advice as well as underutilisation by only allowing by-catches of this species;

– introduction of a cod quota of 1,000 tonnes in 2007 to be increased to 3,500 tonnes from 2008 and onwards.

 

The Agreement’s main objectives are to set out the principles and rules governing EC - Greenlandic fishery issues by encouraging economic, financial, technical and scientific co-operation in the fisheries sectors, promoting responsible fishing in Greenlandic waters, developing the fishing sector in Greenland, allowing Community fishing vessels access to the Greenlandic exclusive economic zone (EEZ), setting out the arrangements for regulating Community vessels operating in the EEZ, regulating measures aimed at conserving and managing fish stocks, preventing illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing and encouraging partnerships between companies the purpose of which is to encourage fishing activities of common interest.

 

As far as the financial contribution is concerned, the EC proposes €15,847,244 per year. This includes a financial reserve of  €1,540,000 to be paid in case the Community receives fishing opportunities for cod and/or capelin in addition to the quotas already set out in the Annex of the Agreement. An annual financial support of  €3,261,449  will be earmarked for defining and implementing a sectoral fisheries policy in Greenland. On top of the financial contribution from the Community budget, the ship owners’ fees, fixed for each species as 5% of the average reference prices paid to Greenland, could amount to around  €2m.

 

The minimum quantities for maintaining Greenlandic fishing activities are set, per year, as:

 

- Snowcrab: Western stock: 4,000;

- Cod: Western stock and Eastern stock: 30,000;

- Redfish: Western stock: 2.500; Eastern stock: 5,000;

- Greenland halibut: Western stock: 4.700; Eastern stock: 4,000; and

- Shrimp: Western stock: 25,000; Eastern stock: 1,500.

 

 

The EC-Greenland Fisheries Agreement has acted as the main conduit for European financing programmes, be they fisheries related or not. Recognising the indistinct nature of such an arrangement the Council, acting upon advice from the Court of Auditors and the European Parliament, has urged the Commission to propose a new comprehensive partnership with Greenland upon the expiry of the Fisheries Agreement on 31 December 2006. The future comprehensive strategy will be based on a two pillar system:

 

- a Fisheries Agreement, entailing a clear identification of the payment corresponding to effective fishing possibilities – the purpose of the present proposal; and

 

- a specific Decision governing co-operation between the EU and Greenland which is not related to fisheries.