BETA


2013/2179(INI) Situation and future perspectives of the European fishing sector in the context of the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Thailand

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead PECH MATO Gabriel (icon: PPE PPE) RODUST Ulrike (icon: S&D S&D), MEISSNER Gesine (icon: ALDE ALDE), GRÓBARCZYK Marek Józef (icon: ECR ECR)
Committee Opinion INTA WAŁĘSA Jarosław (icon: PPE PPE) Syed KAMALL (icon: ECR ECR), David MARTIN (icon: S&D S&D)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54

Events

2014/08/11
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2014/03/12
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2014/03/12
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 503 votes to 69, with 32 abstentions, a resolution on the situation and future prospects of the European fishing sector in the context of the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Thailand.

Parliament recalled that the European fishing and processing industry is vital in terms of securing the supply of food to European citizens and that the survival of the sector will be jeopardised if the EU liberalises trade in fishery products with developing countries that wish to export their products to the key Community market, especially if they are offered zero duty.

Thailand is the world’s main producer of canned tuna, with 46% of world production, and its exports of canned tuna to the EU, more than 90 000 tonnes each year, amount to almost 20% of all Community imports from third countries.

The lack of progress in the negotiations on this regional agreement has led to the opening of bilateral negotiations with ASEAN member countries, including Thailand, with a political commitment to conclude the FTA within two years.

Tuna and fish products from Thailand : in this regard, Parliament requested that fish products, such as canned tuna imported from Thailand , which have the potential to disrupt the EU’s production of and market for these products, be treated as sensitive products.

More specifically, it called for access to the EU market for canned and prepared fish and shellfish from Thailand to remain subject to the current tariff and thus to be excluded from tariff reductions .

Imports of canned tuna and other fish products from Thailand should be subject, insofar as is possible, to the same competitive conditions as fish products of EU origin.

Parliament considered this demand to imply in particular that the FTA must contain an ambitious trade and sustainable development chapter, whereby Thailand undertakes to respect, promote and implement internationally recognised labour standards , as enshrined in the fundamental ILO conventions, including those on forced labour and child labour. Respect for human rights, the protection of the environment and the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources, the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and conformity with the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary rules should be strictly enforced. The FTA is called upon to include a requirement for compliance with International Labour Organisation conventions and greater transparency, surveillance, oversight, and traceability in the Thai fisheries sector, so that fishing activities can be monitored.

Progressive liberalisation : in order to safeguard the competitiveness of the Community tuna industry and preserve the significant activity and social dimension associated with the tuna industry in the EU (which provides 25 000 direct and 54 000 indirect jobs), Parliament recommended that long transitional periods and partial liberalisation commitments , including the imposition of quotas, be established for canned and prepared fish and shellfish products should tariff reductions be introduced.

Parliament also:

called for full compliance with solid and coherent strict rules of origin to be enforced without exception and for cumulation to be strictly limited to those products for which Thailand is mainly a processor rather than a fishing country; demanded that imports of canned tuna and other fish products from Thailand be subject, insofar as is possible, to the same competitive conditions as fish products of EU origin; called on the Commission to ensure that the illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) Regulation is effectively implemented and that the FTA negotiations result in an explicit reference thereto within the body of the text of the agreement; called for safeguard clauses to be set out.

Documents
2014/03/12
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2014/02/19
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details

The Committee on Fisheries adopted an own-initiative report by Gabriel MATO ADROVER (EPP, ES) on the situation and future prospects of the European fishing sector in the context of the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Thailand.

Members recalled that the European fishing and processing industry is vital in terms of securing the supply of food to European citizens and that the survival of the sector will be jeopardised if the EU liberalises trade in fishery products with developing countries that wish to export their products to the key Community market, especially if they are offered zero duty.

Thailand is the world’s main producer of canned tuna, with 46% of world production, and its exports of canned tuna to the EU, more than 90 000 tonnes each year, amount to almost 20% of all Community imports from third countries.

The lack of progress in the negotiations on this regional agreement has led to the opening of bilateral negotiations with ASEAN member countries, including Thailand, with a political commitment to conclude the FTA within two years.

In this regard, the report requested that fish products, such as canned tuna imported from Thailand , which have the potential to disrupt the EU’s production of and market for these products, be treated as sensitive products.

More specifically, Members called for access to the EU market for canned and prepared fish and shellfish from Thailand to remain subject to the current tariff and thus to be excluded from tariff reductions .

In order to safeguard the competitiveness of the Community tuna industry and preserve the significant activity and social dimension associated with the tuna industry in the EU (which provides 25 000 direct and 54 000 indirect jobs), the report recommended that long transitional periods and partial liberalisation commitments , including the imposition of quotas, be established for canned and prepared fish and shellfish products should tariff reductions be introduced.

The committee also:

called for full compliance with solid and coherent strict rules of origin to be enforced without exception and for cumulation to be strictly limited to those products for which Thailand is mainly a processor rather than a fishing country; demanded that imports of canned tuna and other fish products from Thailand be subject, insofar as is possible, to the same competitive conditions as fish products of EU origin; called on the Commission to ensure that the illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) Regulation is effectively implemented and that the FTA negotiations result in an explicit reference thereto within the body of the text of the agreement; called for safeguard clauses to be set out and requested the FTA to include a requirement for compliance with International Labour Organisation conventions and greater transparency, surveillance, oversight, and traceability in the Thai fisheries sector.

Documents
2014/02/11
   EP - Vote in committee
2013/12/18
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2013/12/05
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2013/11/08
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2013/09/12
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2013/07/10
   EP - WAŁĘSA Jarosław (PPE) appointed as rapporteur in INTA
2013/06/13
   EP - MATO Gabriel (PPE) appointed as rapporteur in PECH

Documents

Votes

A7-0130/2014 - Gabriel Mato Adrover - Vote unique #

2014/03/12 Outcome: +: 503, -: 69, 0: 32
FR DE ES IT PL GB RO HU SE BE AT SK EL PT BG IE HR LV NL SI CZ LT FI LU CY MT EE DK
Total
57
79
49
49
33
63
25
19
16
14
18
12
15
19
17
11
10
9
23
6
14
9
10
4
5
3
6
8
icon: PPE PPE
209

Sweden PPE

For (1)

2

Belgium PPE

2

Netherlands PPE

2

Finland PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

3
2

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
157

Ireland S&D

2

Latvia S&D

1

Netherlands S&D

3

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Finland S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
52

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

5
3

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Greece Verts/ALE

1

Portugal Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Finland Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
41

Hungary ECR

For (1)

1

Belgium ECR

For (1)

1

Croatia ECR

For (1)

1

Latvia ECR

For (1)

1

Netherlands ECR

For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
28

France NI

2

Spain NI

1

Italy NI

2
6

Hungary NI

For (1)

3

Austria NI

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

4

Bulgaria NI

1

Ireland NI

For (1)

1
icon: EFD EFD
17

Poland EFD

Abstain (1)

1

Belgium EFD

For (1)

1

Slovakia EFD

For (1)

1

Bulgaria EFD

For (1)

1

Netherlands EFD

For (1)

1

Lithuania EFD

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Finland EFD

For (1)

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
67

Spain ALDE

2

Italy ALDE

Against (1)

1

Romania ALDE

For (1)

Abstain (1)

4

Belgium ALDE

1

Austria ALDE

Against (1)

1

Greece ALDE

1

Ireland ALDE

Against (1)

3

Latvia ALDE

For (1)

1

Slovenia ALDE

2

Lithuania ALDE

Against (1)

2
3

Estonia ALDE

3

Denmark ALDE

Against (2)

2
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
32

Spain GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

1

Greece GUE/NGL

2
4

Ireland GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Croatia GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Latvia GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

2

Czechia GUE/NGL

3

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Denmark GUE/NGL

For (1)

1
AmendmentsDossier
32 2013/2179(INI)
2013/11/22 INTA 12 amendments...
source: PE-524.551
2013/12/05 PECH 20 amendments...
source: PE-524.693

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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  • date: 2014-02-11T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: False committee: INTA date: 2013-07-10T00:00:00 committee_full: International Trade rapporteur: group: PPE name: WAŁĘSA Jarosław body: EP shadows: group: S&D name: RODUST Ulrike group: ALDE name: MEISSNER Gesine group: ECR name: GRÓBARCZYK Marek Józef group: GUE/NGL name: FERREIRA João responsible: True committee: PECH date: 2013-06-13T00:00:00 committee_full: Fisheries rapporteur: group: PPE name: MATO Gabriel
  • date: 2014-02-19T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A7-2014-0130&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title: A7-0130/2014 body: EP type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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  • date: 2013-12-05T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE524.693 title: PE524.693 type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
  • date: 2013-12-18T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE521.662&secondRef=02 title: PE521.662 committee: INTA type: Committee opinion body: EP
  • date: 2014-08-11T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=24249&j=0&l=en title: SP(2014)457 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
events
  • date: 2013-09-12T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2014-02-11T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2014-02-19T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A7-2014-0130&language=EN title: A7-0130/2014 summary: The Committee on Fisheries adopted an own-initiative report by Gabriel MATO ADROVER (EPP, ES) on the situation and future prospects of the European fishing sector in the context of the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Thailand. Members recalled that the European fishing and processing industry is vital in terms of securing the supply of food to European citizens and that the survival of the sector will be jeopardised if the EU liberalises trade in fishery products with developing countries that wish to export their products to the key Community market, especially if they are offered zero duty. Thailand is the world’s main producer of canned tuna, with 46% of world production, and its exports of canned tuna to the EU, more than 90 000 tonnes each year, amount to almost 20% of all Community imports from third countries. The lack of progress in the negotiations on this regional agreement has led to the opening of bilateral negotiations with ASEAN member countries, including Thailand, with a political commitment to conclude the FTA within two years. In this regard, the report requested that fish products, such as canned tuna imported from Thailand , which have the potential to disrupt the EU’s production of and market for these products, be treated as sensitive products. More specifically, Members called for access to the EU market for canned and prepared fish and shellfish from Thailand to remain subject to the current tariff and thus to be excluded from tariff reductions . In order to safeguard the competitiveness of the Community tuna industry and preserve the significant activity and social dimension associated with the tuna industry in the EU (which provides 25 000 direct and 54 000 indirect jobs), the report recommended that long transitional periods and partial liberalisation commitments , including the imposition of quotas, be established for canned and prepared fish and shellfish products should tariff reductions be introduced. The committee also: called for full compliance with solid and coherent strict rules of origin to be enforced without exception and for cumulation to be strictly limited to those products for which Thailand is mainly a processor rather than a fishing country; demanded that imports of canned tuna and other fish products from Thailand be subject, insofar as is possible, to the same competitive conditions as fish products of EU origin; called on the Commission to ensure that the illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) Regulation is effectively implemented and that the FTA negotiations result in an explicit reference thereto within the body of the text of the agreement; called for safeguard clauses to be set out and requested the FTA to include a requirement for compliance with International Labour Organisation conventions and greater transparency, surveillance, oversight, and traceability in the Thai fisheries sector.
  • date: 2014-03-12T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=24249&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2014-03-12T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2014-0210 title: T7-0210/2014 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 503 votes to 69, with 32 abstentions, a resolution on the situation and future prospects of the European fishing sector in the context of the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Thailand. Parliament recalled that the European fishing and processing industry is vital in terms of securing the supply of food to European citizens and that the survival of the sector will be jeopardised if the EU liberalises trade in fishery products with developing countries that wish to export their products to the key Community market, especially if they are offered zero duty. Thailand is the world’s main producer of canned tuna, with 46% of world production, and its exports of canned tuna to the EU, more than 90 000 tonnes each year, amount to almost 20% of all Community imports from third countries. The lack of progress in the negotiations on this regional agreement has led to the opening of bilateral negotiations with ASEAN member countries, including Thailand, with a political commitment to conclude the FTA within two years. Tuna and fish products from Thailand : in this regard, Parliament requested that fish products, such as canned tuna imported from Thailand , which have the potential to disrupt the EU’s production of and market for these products, be treated as sensitive products. More specifically, it called for access to the EU market for canned and prepared fish and shellfish from Thailand to remain subject to the current tariff and thus to be excluded from tariff reductions . Imports of canned tuna and other fish products from Thailand should be subject, insofar as is possible, to the same competitive conditions as fish products of EU origin. Parliament considered this demand to imply in particular that the FTA must contain an ambitious trade and sustainable development chapter, whereby Thailand undertakes to respect, promote and implement internationally recognised labour standards , as enshrined in the fundamental ILO conventions, including those on forced labour and child labour. Respect for human rights, the protection of the environment and the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources, the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and conformity with the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary rules should be strictly enforced. The FTA is called upon to include a requirement for compliance with International Labour Organisation conventions and greater transparency, surveillance, oversight, and traceability in the Thai fisheries sector, so that fishing activities can be monitored. Progressive liberalisation : in order to safeguard the competitiveness of the Community tuna industry and preserve the significant activity and social dimension associated with the tuna industry in the EU (which provides 25 000 direct and 54 000 indirect jobs), Parliament recommended that long transitional periods and partial liberalisation commitments , including the imposition of quotas, be established for canned and prepared fish and shellfish products should tariff reductions be introduced. Parliament also: called for full compliance with solid and coherent strict rules of origin to be enforced without exception and for cumulation to be strictly limited to those products for which Thailand is mainly a processor rather than a fishing country; demanded that imports of canned tuna and other fish products from Thailand be subject, insofar as is possible, to the same competitive conditions as fish products of EU origin; called on the Commission to ensure that the illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) Regulation is effectively implemented and that the FTA negotiations result in an explicit reference thereto within the body of the text of the agreement; called for safeguard clauses to be set out.
  • date: 2014-03-12T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
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  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/maritimeaffairs_fisheries/ title: Maritime Affairs and Fisheries commissioner: DAMANAKI Maria
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Results of vote in Parliament
title
Results of vote in Parliament
activities/3/docs/1/text
  • The European Parliament adopted by 503 votes to 69, with 32 abstentions, a resolution on the situation and future prospects of the European fishing sector in the context of the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Thailand.

    Parliament recalled that the European fishing and processing industry is vital in terms of securing the supply of food to European citizens and that the survival of the sector will be jeopardised if the EU liberalises trade in fishery products with developing countries that wish to export their products to the key Community market, especially if they are offered zero duty.

    Thailand is the world’s main producer of canned tuna, with 46% of world production, and its exports of canned tuna to the EU, more than 90 000 tonnes each year, amount to almost 20% of all Community imports from third countries.

    The lack of progress in the negotiations on this regional agreement has led to the opening of bilateral negotiations with ASEAN member countries, including Thailand, with a political commitment to conclude the FTA within two years.

    Tuna and fish products from Thailand: in this regard, Parliament requested that fish products, such as canned tuna imported from Thailand, which have the potential to disrupt the EU’s production of and market for these products, be treated as sensitive products.

    More specifically, it called for access to the EU market for canned and prepared fish and shellfish from Thailand to remain subject to the current tariff and thus to be excluded from tariff reductions.

    Imports of canned tuna and other fish products from Thailand should be subject, insofar as is possible, to the same competitive conditions as fish products of EU origin.

    Parliament considered this demand to imply in particular that the FTA must contain an ambitious trade and sustainable development chapter, whereby Thailand undertakes to respect, promote and implement internationally recognised labour standards, as enshrined in the fundamental ILO conventions, including those on forced labour and child labour. Respect for human rights, the protection of the environment and the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources, the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and conformity with the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary rules should be strictly enforced. The FTA is called upon to include a requirement for compliance with International Labour Organisation conventions and greater transparency, surveillance, oversight, and traceability in the Thai fisheries sector, so that fishing activities can be monitored.

    Progressive liberalisation: in order to safeguard the competitiveness of the Community tuna industry and preserve the significant activity and social dimension associated with the tuna industry in the EU (which provides 25 000 direct and 54 000 indirect jobs), Parliament recommended that long transitional periods and partial liberalisation commitments, including the imposition of quotas, be established for canned and prepared fish and shellfish products should tariff reductions be introduced.

    Parliament also:

    • called for full compliance with solid and coherent strict rules of origin to be enforced without exception and for cumulation to be strictly limited to those products for which Thailand is mainly a processor rather than a fishing country;
    • demanded that imports of canned tuna and other fish products from Thailand be subject, insofar as is possible, to the same competitive conditions as fish products of EU origin;
    • called on the Commission to ensure that the illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) Regulation is effectively implemented and that the FTA negotiations result in an explicit reference thereto within the body of the text of the agreement;
    • called for safeguard clauses to be set out.
activities/3/docs/1/url
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2014-0210
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Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 150
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Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 048
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Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 052
activities/2/docs/0/text
  • The Committee on Fisheries adopted an own-initiative report by Gabriel MATO ADROVER (EPP, ES) on the situation and future prospects of the European fishing sector in the context of the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Thailand.

    Members recalled that the European fishing and processing industry is vital in terms of securing the supply of food to European citizens and that the survival of the sector will be jeopardised if the EU liberalises trade in fishery products with developing countries that wish to export their products to the key Community market, especially if they are offered zero duty.

    Thailand is the world’s main producer of canned tuna, with 46% of world production, and its exports of canned tuna to the EU, more than 90 000 tonnes each year, amount to almost 20% of all Community imports from third countries.

    The lack of progress in the negotiations on this regional agreement has led to the opening of bilateral negotiations with ASEAN member countries, including Thailand, with a political commitment to conclude the FTA within two years.

    In this regard, the report requested that fish products, such as canned tuna imported from Thailand, which have the potential to disrupt the EU’s production of and market for these products, be treated as sensitive products.

    More specifically, Members called for access to the EU market for canned and prepared fish and shellfish from Thailand to remain subject to the current tariff and thus to be excluded from tariff reductions.

    In order to safeguard the competitiveness of the Community tuna industry and preserve the significant activity and social dimension associated with the tuna industry in the EU (which provides 25 000 direct and 54 000 indirect jobs), the report recommended that long transitional periods and partial liberalisation commitments, including the imposition of quotas, be established for canned and prepared fish and shellfish products should tariff reductions be introduced.

    The committee also:

    • called for full compliance with solid and coherent strict rules of origin to be enforced without exception and for cumulation to be strictly limited to those products for which Thailand is mainly a processor rather than a fishing country;
    • demanded that imports of canned tuna and other fish products from Thailand be subject, insofar as is possible, to the same competitive conditions as fish products of EU origin;
    • called on the Commission to ensure that the illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) Regulation is effectively implemented and that the FTA negotiations result in an explicit reference thereto within the body of the text of the agreement;
    • called for safeguard clauses to be set out and requested the FTA to include a requirement for compliance with International Labour Organisation conventions and greater transparency, surveillance, oversight, and traceability in the Thai fisheries sector.
activities/3/docs
  • type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T7-0210/2014
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  • body: EP shadows: group: S&D name: RODUST Ulrike group: ALDE name: MEISSNER Gesine group: ECR name: GRÓBARCZYK Marek Józef group: GUE/NGL name: FERREIRA João responsible: True committee: PECH date: 2013-06-13T00:00:00 committee_full: Fisheries rapporteur: group: EPP name: MATO ADROVER Gabriel
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GUE/NGL
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links
other
  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/maritimeaffairs_fisheries/ title: Maritime Affairs and Fisheries commissioner: DAMANAKI Maria
procedure
dossier_of_the_committee
PECH/7/12956
geographical_area
Thailand
reference
2013/2179(INI)
title
Situation and future perspectives of the European fishing sector in the context of the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Thailand
legal_basis
Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 048
stage_reached
Awaiting committee decision
subtype
Initiative
type
INI - Own-initiative procedure
subject