MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the contribution of the Common Fisheries Policy to the production of public goods
9.11.2011
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Ulrike Rodust, Josefa Andrés Barea, Ole Christensen, Iliana Malinova Iotova, Guido Milana, Catherine Trautmann on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0579/2011
B7‑0584/2011
European Parliament resolution on the contribution of the Common Fisheries Policy to the production of public goods
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy,
– having regard to the Communication from the Commission COM (2011) 244 final on 'Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020',
– having regard to the Communication from the Commission COM (2011)363 'Rio+20: towards the green economy and better governance',
– having regard to the Communication from the Commission COM (2010)2020 on 'Europe 2020',
– having regard to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC),
– having regard to the CFP reform package submitted by the Commission on 13 July 2011,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas fishing is one of the oldest human activities and fish is an important and indispensable element of human nutrition that should be guaranteed –by preserving and maintaining healthy fish stocks - not only for the current but also for future generations;
B. whereas the role of fisheries as supplier of food for human society has long been widely accepted;
C. whereas seafood is an important source of protein for nearly three billion people worldwide and contributes to the livelihoods of more than 540 million people;
D. whereas the fisheries sector, including wild fish and aquaculture, is an activity that contributes to the production of indispensable common goods through three main strands, fishing, processing and marketing;
E. whereas aquaculture, marine and freshwater, inshore and offshore, is an important and rising complementary and incorporated part of the fisheries sector;
F. whereas healthy fish stocks; healthy marine ecosystems and the preservation of marine biodiversity constitute important common goods which shall be preserved;
G. whereas the reformed CFP should ensure the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources, which is the basis for guaranteeing the environmental, social and economical sustainability of the fisheries sector, in the different hydrographic basins as well as in coastal zones where this activity takes place;
H. whereas a sustainable and modern fisheries sector, necessary to ensure sustainable employment opportunities and to keep young people in underdeveloped areas, requires the use of new and modern tools in line with market developments and demands;
I. whereas a modern fisheries sector will be required to diversify its activities both to ensure the sustainable management of the environment and ecosystems, and to ensure a sustainable income and to meet market demands;
J. whereas fisheries activities extend their impact mainly to the coastal zones and islands contributing to their management and also to their social and economical dynamics, which is particularly important for their communities, frequently disadvantaged, with scarcity of jobs and weak economies;
K. whereas the EU fishing sector directly and indirectly contributes to the economic growth of the EU, and to social development in several regions, costal zones and islands of Europe, which are highly dependent on this activity;
L. whereas, through the Integrated Maritime Policy, which has the environment among its top objectives, the European fisheries sector can also trigger and enhance a vast array of scientific studies that deepen our knowledge of oceanographic dynamics, ecosystems and the biology of the aquatic species directly or indirectly involved in the fisheries activity;
1. Underlines that fisheries is an important sector in EU that provides European citizens with high quality food and creates economic and social added value for the European Union; therefore, the reformed CFP needs to ensure the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources and the preservation and maintenance of the fish stocks at a healthy level, so that fishing activities can be continued in their traditional zones and communities in the long run;
2. Underlines that the top priority of CFP should be the establishment of a fisheries sector which acts in accordance with the principles of environmental sustainability in order to ensure the social and economic benefits of fishing to present and future generations;
3. Underlines that the existence of healthy fish stocks, healthy marine ecosystems and the preservation of marine biodiversity are in itself common goods which are only produced if fish stocks are being managed in a sustainable way and unnecessary negative impact on the environment is minimised;
4. Underlines that the CFP contributes to the realization of the targets of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy and to the EU's intention to halt biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services by 2020 by the adopted regulation to secure sustainable fisheries by taking precautionary measures to eliminate destructive fishing, by insuring the recovery of over-exploited fish stocks and by taking measures to protect species not targeted by fisheries;
5. Recalls that, at an economic level, the fisheries sector (including aquaculture) is estimated to generate €34.2 billion and that, at a social level, it creates more than 350 000 jobs in the fishing, fish processing and marketing sector in particular in costal, remote regions and islands;
6. Stresses that the fisheries sector, beyond its three traditional domains of activity and its most visible impact at a economic and social level, also plays a relevant role in different other areas, such as the environment, culture, recreation and tourism, science, energy and education;
7. Stresses that the fisheries sector (including wild fisheries and aquaculture) is one of the most important pillars of food security for the European Union and as such its sustainability and stability must be ensured by the CFP reform, so that, in the future, it can provide fisheries products of sufficient quality and in sufficient quantity to satisfy the demand of more than half a billion European citizens;
8. Underscores the importance of the potential of marine and freshwater aquaculture to complement the role of fisheries to ensure an important part of food security in EU;
9. Welcomes the Commission's willingness to strengthen the aquaculture sector in the EU and to provide adequate funding for it; calls on the Commission to establish general qualitative criteria with regard to aquaculture which should be assured throughout the EU and which take into account the ecological and social impact of aquaculture; calls furthermore the Commission to ensure that imported aquaculture products have been produced according to the relevant European quality standards i.e. ecological or animal well-being standards;
10. Underlines that the fisheries sector has a multi-functional dimension through which it provides communities with additional common goods, beneficial to Europeans citizens in general and not only to those directly or indirectly related to fisheries, which must be acknowledged and valued; furthermore, a considerable number of the European citizens living in particular in costal areas are benefitting from the multi-functionality of the fisheries activity; stresses that the production of these additional public goods shall not be used as an excuse to delay necessary reforms of the CFP and the fisheries sector, as the replenishment of stocks and the removal of excess overcapacity;
11. Underlines that a further diversification of activities directly or indirectly related to fisheries could help to slow down the exodus of workers from the sector, to keep habits and traditions of different regions alive, and to halt the depopulation of some coastal areas;
12. Stresses that fisheries management has been increasingly based on scientific data, which stimulates applied research in this area, promoting knowledge and fostering technological development and innovation, in line with the EU 2020 Strategy for promoting smart growth;
13. Stresses that the fishing sector fully depends on the health of the stocks and on the balance of the ecosystem, so that the reform of the CFP will refocus on it as the guardian and manager of marine resources, implementing a more efficient, greener and more competitive economy, in line with the EU 2020 Strategy for promoting smart growth;
14. Stresses that fishing activities, considering all their dimensions (including aquaculture) and direct and indirect impact, as well as the production of common goods, guarantees social and territorial cohesion, promotes vocational training and social and economic dynamism, in line with the EU 2020 Strategy for promoting inclusive growth;
15. Stresses that the fisheries sector on its own, and through the Integrated Maritime Policy, contributes to implementing the goals of Rio +20 for an open economy, and also to creating jobs and eradicating poverty;
16. Asks the Commission to acknowledge the multi-functionality of the fisheries sector and the value of its wide and diverse production of common goods;
17. Asks the Commission to ensure in its future policy proposals and decisions that the CFP contributes to overarching aims as the EU 2020 strategy, the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 and the achievement of the goals of the marine framework strategy directive; asks the Commission to take the specific characteristics of fisheries and coastal regions into account when developing and implementing these policies;
18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.