Agriculture & Fisheries

Agriculture

Introduction

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one of the EU’s largest programmes. Designed to support farmers through subsidies and regulation, CAP plays a prominent role in the East of England landscape. Previously, payments were tied to production output. However, since 2003, payments have been introduced for environmentally-friendly forms of farming, and more emphasis has been placed on rural development and encouraging farmers to seek diversification.

CAP’s main focus is on the following two large issue areas:

• Rural Development
  
  Rural Development Policy 2007-2013- As rural areas cover 91% of the EU territory, containing over 56% of the EU population, rural development is an important policy area. Through this integrated CAP policy, the EU intends to encourage economic diversification in rural communities and manage natural resources and raw materials effectively. The EU also seeks to improve the competiveness of the agricultural sector, whilst simultaneously improving the environment and the quality of life in rural areas.

• Food
  
  The EU is concerned with improving quality and safety within the farming sector. Whilst also improving the standard of food, the EU will encourage sustainable farming practices. Farming will be sustainable both socially and economically, as well as environmentally.

CAP ‘Health Check’

To address new challenges to the CAP since the previous reforms, the European Commission proposed a ‘Health Check’ or a review of how the CAP operated and whether future reforms were needed. The Health Check would seek to modernise, simplify and streamline the CAP and remove restrictions on farmers. This would help them to respond better to the markets and to face new challenges. In November 2008 the EU agriculture ministers reached an agreement on the Health Check. Consequently, a range of measures have taken place, which include: the phasing out of milk quotas; the abolishment of arable set-aside; the reduction of direct payments to farmers; and more money transferred to the Rural Development Fund.

Furthermore, since 2005, the CAP has undergone a series of simplification. In a desire to reduce regulatory burden and red tape, a considerable number of CAP-related simplification projects have been completed over the last couple of years.

Fisheries

Introduction

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the European Union’s policy for the management of fisheries and aquaculture. The state of Europe’s fisheries has far-reaching impacts for all of us. A healthy marine environment is needed to provide us with nutritious food, which forms a large part of our diet. Furthermore, many Europeans, particularly in coastal communities, find employment and depend on fish-related industries as a source of income.

As fish and other marine species are moving resources which know no national boundaries, it is imperative that Member States work together to manage them. The first instruments of fishing policy can be traced back to the early 1970s. These were measures to set foundation rules for access to fishing grounds, markets and structures. It was here where it was agreed that, in principle, all EU fishing people would have equal access to Member States’ waters. However, in order to ensure that smaller vessels could continue to fish close to their home ports, a coastal band was reserved for local fishermen who have traditionally fished in these areas.

After years of negotiations, the Common Fisheries Policy was agreed upon and implemented in 1983, and reviewed in 1992 and 2002. Currently the CFP is now a complex legal and scientific framework aimed at managing fishing patterns and conflict. Alongside the CFP, is a new Maritime Policy, which seeks an integrated approach to tackle the challenges that European seas face today. The Maritime Policy currently tackles a range of issues, from pollution and climate change adaptation to job creation and border control.

The Common Fisheries Policy’s main objectives

The aim of the CFP is to promote ‘ Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in a healthy marine environment, which can support an economically viable industry, providing employment and opportunities for coastal communities.’ Presently, the CFP is based on the following objectives:

• Conservation and Sustainability – to reduce the environmental impact of fishing by protecting fish resources through regulation; allowing young fish to reproduce; funding research and data collection to ensure appropriate policy making; and providing authorities with the tools to enforce these rules.

• Industry and Fleet Management – encouraging and assisting the fishing and aquaculture industries to adapt to new constraints, equipment and organisations; supporting the development of a dynamic EU aquaculture sector; and monitoring the size of the European fishing fleet and preventing further growth.

• Markets and Consumers – to maintain a common market of fish products, through the establishment of common marketing standards; the production of fish products at a fair price for both consumers producers; and the matching of supply with demand.

• Relations with the outside world – to set up fishing partnership agreements and organisations; negotiating on the behalf of EU countries with non-EU countries around the world; and negotiating at the international level with regional and international fisheries organisations for common conservation measures.

European Fisheries Fund

The European Fisheries Fund (EFF) began operating in January 2007 and funds and supports the EU fisheries sector. It replaces the previous Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance, and has a total budget of € 3.8 billion for the seven-year period 2007-2013. Funding is disseminated to all sectors of the industry, and particular attention is given to fishing communities most affected by recent changes. There are five priority areas or ‘axes’ for EFF funding:

1. Axis 1 – Adjustment of the fishing fleet
   
   Funding is available for fishing vessel owners who are permanently or temporarily ceasing their activities. Aid is also available for working improvements to fishing vessels, such as the replacement of engines to more energy efficient varieties. However, financial assistance will not be granted to improvements that would lead to an increase in catch capacity or power of the vessel’s engine.
   
   
2. Axis 2 – Aquaculture, Processing and Marketing, and Inland Fishing
   
   Aid is available to the diversification and shift to more sustainable production methods, such as environmentally-friendly aquaculture and new aquaculture species with good market prospects.
   
   
3. Axis 3 – Measures of Common Interest
   
   This category of funding is concentrated on activities that go beyond the commercial interests of individual companies. Such collective action activities include: the sustainable development and conservation of resources; promoting partnerships between scientists and operators; and the development and strengthening of new marketing and promotional campaigns.
   
   
4. Axis 4 – Sustainable Development of Fisheries Areas
   
   Financial assistance is granted to measures and initiatives aimed at diversifying and strengthening economic development in local fishing-dependent communities. Based on a bottom-up approach, coastal communities are eligible for funding for a variety of concerns, such as strengthening their competitiveness, adding value to their products, developing a tourism infrastructure and protecting the environment.
   
   
5. Axis 5 – Technical Assistance
   
   The EFF will fund a range of activities which are involved with the implementation of the CFP, such as administrative and technical support, evaluation and audit checks and the production of studies and reports.
   

CFP Reform

Similarly to CAP, CFP is undergoing a process of reform. As it has become abundantly clear over the past decade that policy failures far outweigh the successes, that the fisheries sector remains fragile and that fish stocks in EU waters are still overfished, a new system is needed to address the policy’s shortcomings. Thus in 2009 the Commission launched a debate and consultation on the future management of EU fisheries. From this a report was published and a broader impact assessment is currently taking place, to be finalised in autumn 2010.

CFP is also currently undergoing a series of simplification. Since 2005, there have been numerous initiatives taking place aimed at making rules more transparent, easier to understand and less burdensome.

For more information, you can visit the European Commission’s fisheries website. Click here