41 Amendments of Nicolás GONZÁLEZ CASARES related to 2019/2161(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
— having regard to the FAO publication “Safety at sea as an integral part of fisheries management (2001)”1a _________________ 1aPetursdottir, G.; Hannibalsson, O.; Turner, J.M.M., Safety at sea as an integral part of fisheries management. FAO Fisheries Circular. No. 966. Rome, FAO. 2001. 39p.
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
— having regard to Council Directive (EU) 2017/159 of 19 December 2016 implementing the Agreement concerning the implementation of the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007of the International Labour Organisation, concluded on 21 May 2012 between the General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives in the European Union (Cogeca), the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) and the Association of National Organisations of Fishing Enterprises in the European Union (Europêche)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 b (new)
Citation 14 b (new)
— having regard to the report on “Social data in EU fisheries sector” (STECF 19-03)2b _________________ 2bScientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Social data in the EU fisheries sector (STECF-19-03). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg,2018, ISBN 978-92-76-09514-9, doi:10.2760/638363, JRC117517
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15
Citation 15
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to document entitled “The scope of EU labour law: Who is (not) covered by key directives?”3b,European Parliament, Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies (2020) _________________ 3b https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/IDAN/2020/658181/IPOL_IDA(20 20)658181_EN.pdf
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the common fisheries policy (CFP) aims to ensure that fishing and aquaculture are sustainable in the long term and that this sustainability is based on three pillars – environmental, social and economic; whereas in order to reach social sustainability fisheries policies should integrate and improve labour conditions, health and safety, job creation, training, social inclusion and a fair standard of living; whereas in many fishing communities and regions of the EU, the social importance of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors outweighs its direct economic contribution;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas in the last few years fisheries across Europe have undergone major structural changes, leading to social consequences for both fishers as for fishing communities; whereas there is an increasing need of raising awareness and that more attention should be paid to the social dimension of fisheries, for instance assessing social impacts in the framework of impact assessments of policy proposals related to the CFP;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the current lack of systematic comprehensive data and regular scientific analysis on the social aspects of the CFP compromise fishery policymaking; whereas these data could promote fishing as a successful working career, as away of contributing to the livelihood of coastal communities and attract young people to the profession;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the collection of social indicators for the EU fishing fleet, aquaculture and fish processing industry was introduced by Regulation No 2017/1004 on the establishment of a Union framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the CFP, whereas social variables are to be collected every three years from 2018 onwards, including: Employment by gender, Full Time Employment (FTE) by gender, Unpaid labour by gender, Employment by age, Employment by education level, Employment by nationality, Employment by employment status, Total FTE National;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas according to the STECF report on Social data in EU fisheries sector (19-03), in 2017 there were around 150 thousand people employed in the EU fishing fleet, equivalent to some 99 thousand FTEs. Most workers in the EU fishing fleet were male at 96%, 4% were female; whereas according to the age data reported, the 40-64 age class made up the largest proportion (58%) of people employed in the EU fishing fleet, followed by the 25-39 age class at 26%, a further 7% were over 65 years, followed by 5% in the 15-24 age class and 4% were unknown, noting a significant variation in age profiles across the Member States: in Estonia 31% of fishers are over 65 while in many other Member States the same category only makes up a very low proportion of the fishing population (1% in Belgium and Germany and 2% in Finland);
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
Fc. whereas employed people in the EU fishing fleet were nationals of their own country (86%), followed by non- EU/EEA nations (8%), unknown (3%), other EU countries (3%), and EEA (0.1%); whereas the proportion of nationals working in different Member States fleets varied significantly: 27% of people employed in the Irish fleet were non-Irish nationals and 36% of people employed in the Belgian fleet were non- Belgian nationals. In contrast, 94% of the workers in Italian fleet were Italian born; 99% of the Portuguese workers were nationals and all the people employed in the Bulgarian fleet were Bulgarians;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F d (new)
Recital F d (new)
Fd. whereas 52% of people employed in the EU fishing fleet have educated to a low level, followed by 24% with medium level and 4% up to a high level; whereas the education level is unknown for a relatively high share of the fishing sector (20% of employees), this may reflect that this question can be experienced as being sensitive; whereas education levels varied considerably across Member States only 1% of Portuguese fishers have a high level of education while the corresponding figure in Sweden is of 21%;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F e (new)
Recital F e (new)
Fe. whereas 61% of people employed in the EU fishing fleet were employees and 36% were vessel owners, with a wide variation in the employment status variable across Member States with employees representing 100% in Belgian and only 28% in Sweden;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas according to FAO fishers depend on their vessels for their survival and risks vary with each type of fishing, the fishing grounds and weather conditions, vessel size, equipment carried and tasks of each fisher. On larger vessels, the fishing gear and other heavy equipment pose a considerable risk of death or injury to the crew while on small vessels, the risk of capsizing while pulling in a large catch, being flooded in heavy seas or run down by a larger vessel can be considerable. Thus, different safety problems are associated with each fishing activities and vessel size;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas, despite the increase in the number of incidents, the number of fatalities arising from accidents and incidents on fishing vessels has shown a downward trend, with the vast majority of incidents being the result of human factors (62.4%) and system/equipment failures being the second most common cause (23.2% of incidents); whereas the three mostly reported factors contributing to accidents on board fishing vessels related to human action are lack of safety awareness, as well as lack of knowledge and also inadequate work methods among onboard personnel;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas, a significant proportion of fishermens have low and irregular incomes, which do not provide them with enough social protection, and these facts are a further factor that lessens fishing’s attractiveness among young people;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the first STECF report on Social data on the EU fisheries sector, providing a comprehensive overview of the social data collected under the EU Data Collection Framework; Stresses the need to address the conclusions of this first report and calls, therefore, for future STECF reports on social data to refine the existing social indicators, requiring a proper definition of whom to consider part of the fisheries work force, include new elements for analysis and adequate geographic scale, lower than country level, considering the need to know the regional and even local reality;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that, despite international and EU efforts to improve safety conditions on board vessels, particularly fishing vessels, the international conventions setting out the rules and systems for the protection of ships and persons on board apply omainly to larger and newly built vessels;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls the steps taken internationally, particularly under the Torremolinos Protocol (1993) and the Cape Town Agreement (2012), to amend and improve the Torremolinos Convention (1977), which was established as a means to address fishing vessel safety, and points out that, even with the 2012 reduction in requirements, this Convention is still not in force; Recalls that this Convention has been transposed into EU legislation through the Council Directive 97/70/EC setting up a harmonised safety regime for fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the best safety, work and living standards are in place on fishing vessels, regardless of their size; proposes that steps be taken to establish basic legal rules applicable in a uniform and cross-cutting manner to the entire EU fishing fleet, taking into account specific characteristics concerning vessel size and the types of fishing operation for which vessels are intendedreminds Member States that the deadline set for transposition Directive (EU) 2017/159 which incorporates ILO Convention No 188 (ILO C 188) into the Union’s legal framework, was 15 November 2019; recalls that given the large number of self-employed fishers in the EU, and the fact that the Directive does not cover them, it is necessary for the Member States to ratify ILO C 188, to ensure a level playing field and fair competition among all fishers and fishing activities; urges the Commission to present, as quickly as possible, a proposal for an accompanying Directive on control and enforcement provisions, as was done for the maritime transport sector, in order to establish a harmonised inspections system;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes that, under the 1995 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F), the ILMO establishes a number of fundamental standards regarding workingtraining and safety conditions, including minimum safety training requirements for all types and sizes of fishing vessel; points out that, while this convention has been in force since September 2012, it applies only in those countries that have ratified it;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Notes that although the European Union implemented the so-called 1993 Torremolinos Protocol into its acquis through Directive 97/70/EC and the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 through Directive (EU) 2017/159, so far it did not act as swiftly and energetically with regard to safety training; recalls that Decision (EU) 2015/799 authorising Member States to become party or to accede to STCW-F has proven ineffective in light of the remaining, poorly lower ratification/accession rates of its Member States; reminds that Directive (EU)2017/159 forces Member States to adopt legislation on training and certification of fishers; therefore stresses that Union legislation on safety training for fishers should go further than what STCW-F regulates by also introducing standards for all fishing vessels less than 24 metres, that form the larger part of the Union’s fishing fleet; calls on the European Commission to present a proposal for a Directive transposing STCW-F into the Union’s acquis in order to complete the implementation in the Union’s legislation of the internationally agreed minimum standards for ensuring safety at sea in fishing;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Points out that, while the acquisition of practical knowledge and hands-on work experience provides a solid basis that remains valid for the training of fishermens in a number of Member States, formal certification provides the only guarantee that the necessary knowledge has been properly assimilated; notes that formal certification not only enhances the personal status of fishermen but also provides a form of social recognition for this profession;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to establish common bases for a standard training and certification system for the various categories of fishermens, allowing rapid recognition at European level of the certification obtained in a given Member State; considers that this should include a procedure for the recognition of certificates obtained outside the Union compatible with the European training recognition system, facilitating the movement of fishermens within the EU;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Notes that Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications does not establish a standardized level of training and certification for all fishers and hinders the movement of fishers between Member- States; recalls that while the Union has introduced specific, different rules for recognition of seafarers’ certificates of competency based on STCW Convention, so far the Commission has not proposed specific rules as provided in STCW-F Convention for recognition of fisher’s certificates of competency; calls, therefore on the European Commission to propose specific measures for recognition of fisher’s certificates of competency in line with the provisions of STCW-F Convention, not only for European fishers but also for citizens of third countries having ratified or acceded to STCW-F;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Points out that, while the aim of the EMFAF is to contribute to the full implementation of the CFP, in order to achieve this objective, fishermens must be properly trained and certified, requiring a portion of the funding to be earmarked for the training and certification of existing and incoming EU fishermens;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Points out that, despite the dangers of fishing activity, there is no reason to exclude or hamper access for women to this profession, as demonstrated by the increasing number of female crew members and skippers on working fishing vessels; observes that there are fortunately a number of particularly active associations representing women employed in the fisheries sector, especially in the regionalEU Fisheries advisory councils;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Points out that CFP standards are among the most stringent and make an important contribution to environmental, economic and social sustainability and that, although there is still much room for improvement, progress made in recent decades shows what can be done in this direction, contributing, on the one hand, to the sustainability of fish stocks and habitats and, on the other, to increasing the earnings of fishermens and ship owners;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Stresses the significant contribution of fishermens to the advancement of scientific knowledge, through both their direct involvement in the collection of fishing data, collaboration with science, and the provision of additional information regarding the state of the marine environment, species and habitats and the conservation thereof;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Observes that, given the right training and specific skills, fishermens could contribute even more to the advancement of scientific knowledge through the in situ collection and registration of environmental data, providing verification of that obtained by remote observation using satellites and other instruments; in 2019, the Community fleet, consisting of over 81 000 fishing vessels of all sizes, provided an incomparable number of platforms constantly collecting fishing and other marine data on an almost daily basis; this is a facility that can and should be used for the collection of even more data regarding the seas of Europe and the world;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Points out that the involvement of young people and generational renewal will not only ensure the continuity of the oldest activity of the blue economy, but also secure population in coastal areas, preserving the cultural heritage of many coastal communities; considers vital to keep younger generations better informed and more aware of sustainability issues and of the need for all to contribute to tackling and combating climate change, which is impacting hardest on sea and coastal areas around the planet;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Stresses the importance of ocean literacy, which must not exclude digital literacy and digitisation of fishing activity; despite improved skills among older users, software applications are easier and more intuitive for younger generations when it comes to collecting and registering data under the new Fisheries Control Regulation, which is currently under review, or utilising new applications and equipment to improve the safety, working conditions and wellbeing of fishermen at seas at sea, life-long learning systems must be set up to create updated skills and opportunities for all age groups;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Points out that improvements in the conservation status of fish stocks have boosted fishermen’s productivity and average earnings, as well as achieving a reduction in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions; notes that fishermens have been increasingly involved in the collection of all marine refuselitter, including but not only lost or abandoned fishing gear, and that their ecological contribution in this respect should be recognised and encouraged;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Welcomes the proposals under discussion in connection with the 2021- 2027 EMFAF to provide assistance and support for young fishermen engaged in the first purchase of a vessel or fishing enterprise; stresses the need to attract young people to not only sea fishing activities, but also fishing enterprise management, thereby ensuring generational renewal across the entire sector;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Points out that the need to improve on-board working, living and safety conditions, the difficulties regarding the recognition of fishery certificates, the obstacles to the movement of fishermens between Member States and the need for manpower in this sector are factors encouraging the arrival of third-country fishermens who are, in many cases, employed illegally; Considers, in line with the EESC opinion on the Social dimension of fisheries, that it is essential to develop general principles and operational guidelines for fair labour market services in the fishing sector. In this regard the European Commission and Member States should promote the guidelines on the decent employment of migrant fishers developed in 2020 by the European Social Partners in the fisheries sector;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 a (new)
Paragraph 45 a (new)
45a. Calls on the European Commission and the Council of the EU to use its trade policy to ensure that similar environmental and social sustainability standards are applied to both European and foreign operators, opening up the internal market only to compliant products. The EU would otherwise be sending the wrong message to the international community, rewarding those who have done least for the sustainability of fish stocks and fair treatment of fishers;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to raise public awareness in Europe of the importance of fishing activities and the contribution made by of fishermens to food supply in Europe and the conservation of oceans and marine life, thereby debunking the preconception that fishermens are predators interested only in exploiting resources with no thought for the future;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Notes the continued relevance of the question raised in the Bénodet 2000 report entitled 'Fish comes from the sea, but where will future fishermen come from?', which can be reformulated more elaborately two decades later as follows: 'Fish comes from the sea, and fishermens are guardians of fish and the sea, but how will we be able to replenish them and where will future fishermens come from?';