External fishing fleets: Council agrees on its position

The Council agreed on a general approach on the sustainable management of external fishing fleets, on the basis of a compromise text prepared by the Presidency.

The Council agreement strikes a balance between the commitment to sustainable and transparent fishing activities outside Union waters, and the need for robust administrative procedures, especially concerning authorisations.

"The Council text increases the transparency of external fishing activities and will make it more difficult to circumvent the CFP rules, while limiting administrative burdens."

Martijn van Dam i, Dutch minister for agriculture and President of the Council

The Commission proposal for a regulation on external fishing fleets envisages an overhaul of the regime of authorisations for Union fishing vessels to fish outside Union waters, and for third country fishing vessels to fish inside Union waters.

The main objective is to make sure that the core principles of the Common Fisheries Policy, such as sustainability or the fight against illegal fishing, are respected by EU i vessels whether they fish inside or outside EU waters. In order to do so the proposed regulation lays down clear and precise rules to authorise and monitor all EU vessels when they fish outside the EU waters, irrespective of where the fishing activity takes place.

Simpler and wider-ranging rules

The Council general approach confirms the ambitious broadening of the scope of the regulation to issues such as direct third country licences, chartering and "reflagging". It also endorses the Commission approach as to introducing a joint database to further improve the transparency of external fishing activity and to simplify monitoring.

Streamlined authorisation procedures

Before it can fish outside Union waters, an EU vessel needs an authorisation by or an agreement with the third country or international fisheries management organisation concerned. Furthermore an EU vessel now needs an authorisation by its flag Member State too.

The Council general approach introduces changes to the various authorisation procedures to limit the administrative burden, increase legal certainty, ensure equal treatment between internal and external fleets, and shorten the time of response to applicants.

Improved reporting obligations

Reporting obligations are reviewed by the Council in order to make them supplementary to existing channels and practices under fisheries agreements.

The proposed regulation on external fishing fleets supplements the regulations on controls and on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), which are key implementing pillars of the CFP.

The Commission sent its proposal in December 2015 and the Council examination started in January 2016 at working party level.