The European Parliament adopted by 608 votes to 13, with 9 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013, as regards restrictions to the access to Union waters.

The European Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure.

As a reminder, Member States are authorised to restrict fishing to fishing vessels that traditionally fish in those waters from ports on the adjacent coast in waters up to 12 nautical miles from their baselines. Member States are also authorised to restrict access to waters up to 100 nautical miles from the baselines of the Union outermost regions to vessels registered in the ports of those regions.

Existing rules restricting access to resources within the 12 nautical mile zones of Member States have benefitted conservation by restricting fishing effort in the most sensitive part of Union waters. Those rules have also preserved traditional fishing activities on which the social and economic development of certain coastal communities is highly dependent.

Existing rules restricting access to marine biological resources around the Union outermost regions have contributed to the preservation of the local economy of those regions, having regard to their structural, social and economic situation.

The purpose of this Regulation is to extend beyond 31 December 2022 the existing derogations concerning restrictions to access to Union water for a further period of ten years beyond that date, in order to ensure continuity of the current protection measures and to avoid disrupting the balance that has been achieved since the introduction of this special regime. Those derogations are an integral part of the Common Framework Policy (CFP) and the duration and scope of that extension may be revised in the framework of any review of the CFP.

The Regulation also amends Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and following a joint request by Italy and Greece concerning access of Italian fishing vessels to the 6-12 nautical mile zone of Greek territorial waters in the Ionian Sea and a proposal by Greece concerning access of Italian fishing vessels to the 6-12 nautical mile zone of the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

In a joint statement annexed to the legislative resolution, the Commission and the European Parliament took note of the fisheries situation in the Channel and the concerns raised by local and regional fisheries stakeholders, including fishers, regarding the use of demersal seines by numerous vessels. The Commission and the European Parliament encourage close cooperation between those stakeholders and initiatives from them and invite Member States to follow up, where relevant, with the submission of joint recommendations. The Commission will follow up with measures, where appropriate, including technical measures, based on consultations of stakeholders and an assessment by the relevant scientific bodies.

In the event that the Commission considers a review of the CFP Regulation, it will conduct an impact assessment, along the lines of the Better Regulation principles. The Commission will make available to the co-legislators the impact assessment at the moment it publishes such proposal. Alternatively, it will consider reporting on the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy at the latest by 2032.

PURPOSE: to extend by ten years the period during which Member States may limit access to their waters under Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: under Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 on the CFP, Member States are authorised to:

- restrict fishing to fishing vessels that traditionally fish in those waters from ports on the adjacent coast in waters up to 12 nautical miles from their baselines;

- restrict access to waters up to 100 nautical miles from the baselines of the Union outermost regions referred to in the first paragraph of Article 349 of the Treaty to vessels registered in the ports of those territories.

As these derogations are in place until 31 December 2022, the proposal aims to avoid a discontinuation of the specific access regime whose objective remains as valid today as it was in previous decades. This is due to the current conservation status of many stocks, the continued sensitivity of coastal waters for conservation and ongoing difficulties in coastal areas that are highly dependent on fisheries and unlikely to benefit from other economic development.

CONTENT: the proposal aims to extend the existing derogations concerning restrictions on access to EU waters for a further 10 years in order to ensure the continuity of the protective measures in force and to avoid disturbing the balance that has gradually developed following the introduction of this special regime.

The proposal also amends Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and following a joint request by Italy and Greece concerning access for Italian vessels to the Ionian Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Libyan Sea.

Annex I fixes, for each Member State, the geographical zones within the coastal bands of other Member States where it may pursue fishing activities and which species it may fish.