2023/2027(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)

– having regard the 2007 ILO Work in Fishing Convention (No. 188),

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 f (new)

– having regard to the IUU Fishing Action Alliance Pledge to stimulate ambition and action in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, agreed on 28 June 2022,

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 e (new)

15 e. Emphasizes the need for the EU to prioritize international cooperation in combating IUU fishing. Calls on the Commission to engage in diplomatic efforts to encourage third countries, particularly major fishing products producers, to adhere to international agreements and regulations aimed at preventing IUU fishing. This should be done through dialogue, trade negotiations, and international forums;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 f (new)

15 f. Calls on the Member States to use EMFAF to ensure that it provides the necessary targeted support to small-scale and artisanal fishers, who often face unique challenges in complying with IUU regulations. These fishers play a critical role in local food security and should receive the needed assistance to do the transition to more sustainable fishing practices;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 g (new)

15 g. Urges Member States to allocate resources for the development and implementation of comprehensive awareness campaigns to educate consumers on the importance of choosing legal and sustainably sourced fishing products. Such campaigns should not only inform consumers but also encourage responsible consumption and promote the benefits of supporting sustainable fishing practices;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 h (new)

15 h. Urges Member States to adopt a fair and socially responsible approach to combat IUU fishing. This includes ensuring that labour standards are upheld in the fishing sector, promoting decent working conditions, and providing support to fishers and other workers in the sector in cases of labour rights violations. Dissuasive sanctions should be applied with consideration for labour conditions as well as environmental factors;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 i (new)

15 i. Calls on the Member States to promote fair trade practices in the fisheries sector. To achieve a genuine level playing field between EU-produced and third-country fishing products, the Member States should consider implementing trade measures that account for the environmental and labour standards of the products being imported;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 j (new)

15 j. Recognizes that the fight against IUU fishing requires a holistic approach that addresses the root causes of illegal fishing, such as poverty, lack of economic alternatives, and weak governance in some regions. Encourages the Commission to engage in capacity- building programs and international cooperation to help address these underlying issues and promote sustainable fishing practices;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 k (new)

15 k. Calls for the establishment of a comprehensive whistle-blowers protection program within the EU to encourage individuals with knowledge of illegal fishing activities to come forward and provide critical information. Such a program should include legal safeguards, anonymity, and incentives for whistle- blowers to report violations without fear of retaliation;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 l (new)

15 l. Underlines the importance of consumer awareness and education in promoting sustainable fishing products choices. Encourages the Commission to invest in public awareness campaigns to inform EU citizens about the environmental and social impacts of IUU fishing and the benefits of choosing legally and sustainably sourced fishing products;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to refrain from granting preferential market access to nations associated with IUU fishing practices and severe labour violations; considers that the EU should strive to establish a genuine level playing field between seafood produced in the EU and that produced in third countries; considers that specifically, the autonomous tariff quota instrument, which is indispensable in order to ensure the competitiveness of the Union processing industry and avoid jeopardising Union production of fishery products by guaranteeing an adequate supply of fishery products to the industry, should be employed exclusively in cases where the seafood supply for EU markets is insufficient and that it should not be used to import products coming from IUU fishing or to exert pressure on the prices of EU-produced goods;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to refrain from granting preferential market access to nations associated with IUU fishing practices and severe labour violations; including the use of forced labour; considers that the EU should strive to establish a genuine level playing field between seafood produced in the EU and that produced in third countries; considers that specifically, the autonomous tariff quota instrument should be employed exclusively in cases where the seafood supply for EU markets is insufficient and that it should not be used to import products coming from IUU fishing or to exert pressure on the prices of EU-produced goods;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 g (new)

– having regard to the 2022 FAO report entitled ‘The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 − Towards Blue Transformation’,

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the ~~Commission and the~~ Member States to refrain from granting preferential market access to nations associated with IUU fishing practices and severe labour violations; considers that the EU should strive to establish a genuine level playing field between seafood produced in the EU and that produced in third countries; considers that specifically, the autonomous tariff quota instrument should be employed exclusively in cases where the seafood supply for EU markets is insufficient and that it should not be used to import products coming from IUU fishing or to exert pressure on the prices of EU- produced goods;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Urges for consistent and stringent implementation of red and yellow cards, without regard to a country's size or economic and commercial influence. In this regard, as requested in European Parliament Resolution “Implications of Chinese fishing operations for EU fisheries and the way forward” (A9- 0282/2023), calls on the Commission to assess all Chinese initiatives aimed at combating IUU fishing, and in the light of such assessments, to take appropriate actions under the IUU Regulation;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Stresses that available IUU databases suffer from opaqueness, i.e. unknown vessel names or origin or ownership which causes loss of income, notably in poor countries;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16 b. Stresses that international bodies involved in the fight against IUU fishing should coordinate their IUU fishing control activities with shared electronic databases, clear strategies and structured plans that result in the lowest possible level of IUU fishing practices at an international level;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Notes that regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) are proven to be useful in the fight against illegal fishing; calls on the Commission to actively promote the establishment of more relevant RFMOs;

Amendment 115 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT, France JAMET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Encourages Member States in promoting the initiatives of the FAO and of relevant RFMOs aiming at fighting IUU fishing activities and exchanging information relating to fishing vessels suspected of such activities;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Requests that the action plans provided to third countries during the card process be disclosed, following the publication of the pre-identification decision in the Official Journal of the EU; recommends, also, that the specific actions taken by third countries that resulted in the retention/withdrawal of cards be regularly published;

Amendment 117 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT, France JAMET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Recalls the EU Biodiversity Strategy target to protect 30% of all EU sea area by 2030 including strict protections for one third of this area; calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure that effective measures are in place ahead of the 2030 date in order to prevent IUU fishing in those areas as a priority;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)

18b. Calls, as a matter of good practice, for up-to-date lists of authorised vessels to be submitted by third countries and for them to commit to ensuring that they remain up-to-date, in the interests of transparency and in view of ongoing legislative processes;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the EU i, as a major global player in fisheries ~~because of both its~~, with a fishing fleet ~~(numbering~~of around 73 000 vessels), and ~~its position~~ as the world’s largest importer of fishery products ~~(almost 70 % of the seafood products consumed in the EU are imported~~, representing 34 % of total world trade in value), ~~and therefore has~~with almost 70 % of its fishing products consumption being imported, has therefore a central role to play in the fight against IUU fishing worldwide;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas it is difficult to estimate the extent of the IUU fishing and its economic value, studies found that the global amount of unreported catch to be around 28 million tonnes in 2016, with an estimated value of US$41 billion. Illegal catch, were estimated in the early 2000s, to be between 10 and 26 million tonnes of fish, with an estimated value of US$10-23 billion. In the EU, IUU-caught products imported annually are estimated to reach around 500 000 tonnes, at a value of €1.1 billion;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas entire coastal communities are totally reliant on fishing and all negative effects on the sector have socioeconomic and employment consequences;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas IUU fishing has a significant impact on marine ecosystems and on the sustainability of fish stocks;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing constitute a major threat to marine ecosystems and to fish stocks, creating disruptions and distortions of the fishing products market, menacing livelihood of fishing and coastal communities, both within the European Union and on a global scale;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas IUU fishing is strongly linked to incidences of forced labour, labour rights abuses and human trafficking;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)

B c. whereas IUU fishing has a disproportionate impact on the food security and livelihoods of coastal communities in developing countries;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)

B d. whereas transparency on beneficial ownership of companies is key to investigating and prosecuting environmental offences, notably in IUU fishing;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 b (new)

– having regard the 2012 Cape Town Agreement on the Implementation of the Provisions of the Torremolinos Protocol of 1993 relating to the Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels, 1977,

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the EU ~~was~~, committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal target 14.4, ~~which was to end IUU fishing by 2020;~~and prohibiting the import of fishery products obtained from IUU fishing, as specified in its IUU Fishing Regulation1a, it did not fulfil its commitment to end IUU fishing by 2020 and the importation of products stemming from IUU fishing persists within the EU _________________ 1a Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, amending Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1936/2001 and (EC) No 601/2004 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1093/94 and (EC) No 1447/1999 (OJ L 286, 29.10.2008, p. 1).

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the EU wais committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal target 14.4, which was to end IUU fishing by 2020;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas IUU fishing has devastating environmental and socio- economic impacts, is a threat to the sustainable exploitation of resources and contributes to unfair competition on the fishery products' market;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

C b. whereas IUU fishing and associated labour abuses, mostly identified in certain foreign fleets, undermine the livelihoods and human rights of fishers around the world, the sustainability of fish stocks and, in turn, EU operators' competitiveness;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)

C c. whereas the EU distant fleet is competing with certain fleets that are accused of practicing IUU fishing and commercializing low-cost fishery products to the EU market, rendering high quality EU products non-competitive; whereas the EU action against IUU contributes to ensuring a level-playing field among EU and non-EU operators;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)

C d. whereas, according to the European Court of Auditors' Special report on EU action to combat illegal fishing, the IUU regulation has improved traceability and reinforced import control, it has proven useful and triggered positive reform in most of the countries concerned; whereas, furthermore, the EU’s catch certification scheme is the most comprehensive, compared to the USA and Japanese schemes, the second and third largest importers in the world respectively;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas Article 12 of the IUU Fishing Regulation1 prohibits the import of fishery products obtained from IUU fishing; _________________ 1 Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, amending Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1936/2001 and (EC) No 601/2004 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1093/94 and (EC) No 1447/1999 (OJ L 286, 29.10.2008, p. 1).deleted

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas four third countries currently have a red card and eight have a yellow card; whereas, however, one major producer of seafood, the People’s Republic of China, has never been subject to a procedure under the IUU Regulation despite considerable evidence of its significant and growing involvement in IUU fishing and its unregulated and opaque fishing operations pose a serious threat to the survival of global fishery resources and supply chains;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas f~~our~~ive third countries currently have a red card and eight have a yellow card; whereas, however, one major producer of seafood, the People’s Republic of China, has never been subject to a procedure under the IUU Regulation despite considerable evidence of its significant and growing involvement in IUU fishing;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

E a. whereas labour abuses and IUU fishing are often interlinked and the risk still exists that products from IUU fishing and/or forced labour still enter the EU market;

Amendment 3 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT, France JAMET

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)

– having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Sustainable Development Goal 14 “Life Below Water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”,

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas EU fleets face a huge amount of red tape, costing them both economically and in terms of competitiveness in relation to imported products;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF2a) provide important support for monitoring, control and enforcement activities, with a specific objective “fostering efficient fisheries control and enforcement, including fighting against IUU fishing” under Priority 1 - Fostering sustainable fisheries and the restoration and conservation of aquatic biological resources; _________________ 2a Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1004 (OJ L 247, 13.7.2021, p. 1–49)

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas ~~the digitalisation of~~both paper and digital IUU catch certificates ~~through the CATCH IT system will reduc~~will continue to tackle opportunities for fraudulent imports;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas ~~products resulting from~~the unsustainable management of fish stocks and the lack of transparency associated with illegal fishing ~~pose a risk to~~threaten the food security of European Union citizens, by menacing the access for all to safe, affordable, good quality and traceable food;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas products resulting from illegal fishing pose a risk to the food security of citizens and public health in the European Union ~~citizens~~;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas products resulting from illegal fishing pose a risk to ~~the~~ food security ~~of European Union citizens~~worldwide, and developing countries in particular;

Amendment 36 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT, France JAMET

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

J a. recognizes that IUU fishing disproportionately affects vulnerable and marginalized communities, both in the EU and in third countries, and therefore calls for measures to mitigate the social and economic impacts of IUU fishing on these communities. These measures should include financial support, vocational training, and social safety nets to help affected individuals and communities transition to sustainable livelihoods;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

Ja. whereas the zero tolerance policy on IUU fishing should apply equally to all third countries, irrespective of size;

Amendment 38 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT, France JAMET

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

J a. whereas the EU has joined the IUU Fishing Action Alliance in March 2023;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)

Jb. whereas, pursuant to Article 31(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008, a third country may be identified as a non- cooperating third country if it fails to discharge the duties incumbent upon it under international law as flag, port, coastal or market State, to take action to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing;

Amendment 4 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT, France JAMET

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)

– having regard to the IUU Fishing Action Alliance Pledge to stimulate ambition and action in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Notes that fisheries play an important role in safeguarding global food and nutrition security and providing a livelihood for the people living in coastal areas; underlines that the Union attaches great importance to the sustainable development of global fisheries and to abolish forced labour, trafficking and other abuses, also in the fishing sector;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Reaffirms the need for the EU and its Member States to continue taking a zero-tolerance approach to IUU fishing, applying this approach equally to all countries, irrespective of size, and to promote sustainable fisheries with a view to combating overfishing and ensuring food security, recognising the commitment and compliance shown by many EU fishers when it comes to ensuring that fishery resources are managed sustainably and quality and traceable products are brought to market;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Reaffirms the need for the EU and its Member States to continue taking a zero-tolerance approach to IUU fishing, applying this approach equally to all countries, irrespective of size, and to promote economically, environmentally and socially sustainable fisheries with a view tof combating overfishing, the destruction of maritime ecosystems, unfair competition to the fishing sector and ensuring food security;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Reaffirms the need for the EU and its Member States to continue taking a zero-tolerance approach to IUU fishing, applying this approach equally to all countries, irrespective of size, and to promote sustainable fisheries with a view to combating overfishing and ensuring food security; Underlines that the EU IUU card system could be more effective when used in a holistic approach;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Stresses that multilateral cooperation and a global coherent policy with regard to IUU, trade and oceans' governance are key to efficiently fight IUU fishing; calls on, in this regard, the EU to continue encouraging its partners, through its Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements, its IUU policy, in RFMOs or in the WTO, and to step up its cooperation with the US, the United Kingdom, Japan and other key players in fisheries and ocean policy, using its diplomatic and trade instruments, to encourage other third countries to adopt robust legislation and measures to combat IUU fishing;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Reinforces the need for more harmonised approach by Member States of the implementation of the EU IUU- rules in order to avoid any potential loopholes;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Welcomes the 2022 WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies which prohibits harmful fisheries subsidies;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Calls on the Commission to provide technical assistance and promote capacity-building, using all possible channels in the framework of the CFP, in line with the EU's international ocean governance goals, in order to encourage and support coastal states with which the Union maintains dialogue in stepping up their fight against IUU fishing and strengthening the sustainability and transparency requirements in the conditions for accessing their EEZs;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Recognises the potential of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) in the fight against IUU fishing; in this regard, calls for the full enforcement of SFPAs' transparency, exclusivity and non-discrimination clauses; calls on the Commission to improve these Agreements with regard to IUU fishing including requiring the publication of all foreign access agreements and details of vessels with access to partner country waters;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)

– having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2020/1998 of 7 December 2020 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses,

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Expects the Commission to support innovation and research to develop monitoring, tracking and geolocation instruments for vessels on the high seas by supporting the implementation of international initiatives designed to coordinate data systems and provide complete, precise data and transparent information on the location, origin and activity of fishing vessels;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Demands that the Commission take measures to stop the use of flags of convenience; calls for public access to information on the beneficial ownership of fishing vessels of all flags; calls on the Commission to improve its system for identifying vessels engaged in IUU fishing, as provided for in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1184, so that a boat’s country of origin can be identified even if its flag state is unclear and so that boats on which human rights violations have been detected are also included;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Welcomes the initiative of the Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) to publish, on 10 May 2023, a website containing data on the fishing authorisations granted to EU vessels fishing outside EU waters and non-EU vessels fishing in EU waters; urges the fisheries authorities of third countries and regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) to adopt similar measures;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)

1 d. Welcomes the fact that the trilogue agreement to reformed Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009on fisheries control requires fishery products imported into the EU and caught at sea to indicate the IMO number of the fishing vessel, or another unique vessel identifier if the IMO number does not apply;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)

1 d. Welcomes the IUU Fishing Action Alliance Pledge to stimulate ambition and action in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, agreed on 28 June 2022;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 e (new)

1 e. Welcomes the fact that the European Union recently joined the IUU Fishing Action Alliance; urges the members of the Alliance to coordinate their national systems for tackling IUU fishing and, in particular, to look into the possibility of jointly issuing 'yellow cards' and 'red cards' or other similar instruments;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Requests th~~e application of EU guidelines to determine~~at the Commission ensure that EU guidelines on implementation of EU IUU Regulations must provide guidance on how to best to improve the implementation ~~of the EU IUU Regulation in Member States~~in Member States in order to counter the failings to uphold the Regulation’s requirements and how best to verify the information provided in the biennial reports;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Acknowledges that the 2012 IMO Cape Town Agreement, the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures, the ILO Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) and the ILO Work in Fishing Convention (No. 188) are important instruments to ensure decent working conditions and helps to prevent unacceptable forms of work for all fishers, especially forced labour, trafficking and other abuses, and to combat IUU fishing; calls on the authorised Member States to sign and ratify, or accede to these conventions;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Emphasizes the need to conduct rigorous scientific research and data collection to better understand the specific impacts of IUU fishing on food security, local economies, and the environment. Calls on the Commission to allocate funding and resources for such research and to regularly update its assessments to inform evidence-based policymaking;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Underlines the importance of introducing more import controls to protect public health and the competitiveness of the EU fishing industry by implementing strong and timely measures and sanctions;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 b (new)

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 14 September 2022 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market (COM(2022)0453) and to Parliament’s report on that proposal,

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Encourages the Member States to allocate sufficient capacity and resources to ensure the effective implementation of import controls and believes that appropriate promotion campaigns for national seafood products can raise consumers’ awareness of what they are purchasing and boost the value of products and the value chain within each Member State; believes that, to this end, more specific and transparent labelling, clearly indicating products’ paths from production to the plate, should be considered;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Encourages~~Points out theat Member States musto allocate sufficient capacity and resources to ensure the effective implementation of import controls;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Believes that, to this end, more specific and transparent labelling, clearly indicating products’ paths from production to the plate, for both EU and non-EU products alike should be considered; encourages the Member States launch to appropriate promotion campaigns for national and European seafood products to raise consumers’ awareness of what they are purchasing and of traceability measures, and to boost the value of products and the value chain within each Member State;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Encourages national authorities to ensure an adequate implementation of the IUU Regulation in order to set an example of good practice for other Member States, contribute to implementing an adequate traceability system; ensure responsible fishing practices, improving the safety at sea and labour conditions on fishing vessels and to enhance accurate reporting of catch;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Welcomes the recent agreement on the revision of the Fisheries Control Regulation; notes the importance of the introduction of Remote Electronic Monitoring measures in order to tackle IUU fishing in EU waters;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that the Commission must provide adequate support to the national authorities responsible for the control of ~~seafood~~fishing products imports, noting that this support may include, where available, the production of a list of the management and conservation measures applying in non-EU countries and the sharing of detailed information on shortcomings identified in the context of the implementation of the EU IUU Regulation in relation to non-EU countries;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses that the Commission must provide, together with the European Fisheries Control Agency and in close coordination with the Member States, further support to the national authorities as regards how best to implement the IUU Regulation, with this support taking the form of guidance, exchanges of good practices, training, and similar, to allow national fisheries to regain their competitiveness;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Urges the Commission to explore options for expanding social safety nets to support affected communities in Member States and third countries. Recognizes that the transition to sustainable fishing practices may lead to economic disruptions and job losses, and therefore calls for measures to protect the livelihoods of those dependent on the fishing industry, such as targeted job retraining programs and income support;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Encourages the Commission to continue striving for the consistent application and implementation of import control procedures across the EU, including catch certificate checks, a risk- based approach and verifications, and the initiation of infringement procedures;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Encourages the ~~Commission~~Member States to continue striving for the consistent application and implementation of import control procedures across the EU, including catch certificate checks, a risk- based approach and verifications;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 c (new)

– having regard to the Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy,

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Encourages the Commission to continue striving for th~~Highlights that it is the Commissions obligation to ensure consistent application and implementation of import control procedures across the EU, including catch certificate checks, a risk- based approach and verifications;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Urges the Commission to ensure that Member States comply with fisheries’ monitoring and control rules when it comes to their fishing fleets, in particular their external fleets;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Calls on the EU to strive for harnessing international agreements against IUU fishing, such as the FAO's Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), and to promote measures within RFMOs aiming at, among others, improving controls, tackling flags of convenience and re-flagging, addressing transhipment and reinforcing inspections, as important tools to close IUU loopholes;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Reminds the Commission of~~Highlights the need to harmonise import controls across the Member States in order to prevent IUU fishing products from entering the EU market; and strongly encourages the Commission to take further action in this regard; Stresses that the European Union needs to improve control and enforcement to combat forced labour both in the fishing industry as well as in the processing industry

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Reminds the ~~Commission~~Member States of the need to ~~harmonise import controls across the Member State~~cooperate with each other to harmonise and implement effective import controls in order to prevent IUU fishing products from entering the EU market;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Calls on the Commission to take measures to stop the use of flags of convenience; calls for public access to information on the beneficial ownership of fishing vessels of all flags; calls on the Commission to improve its system for identifying vessels engaged in IUU fishing, as provided for in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1184, so that a vessel’s country of origin can be identified even if its flag state is unclear and so that vessels on which human rights violations have been detected are also included;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Calls on the Commission to increase awareness on the protection of human rights in the fishing sector; Underlines that the fisheries sector in specific geographic areas have a higher risk of forced labour imposed by state authorities; urges that when forced labour is identified, measures should be taken at EU level to avoid those products entering the EU market;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Welcomes the revised Fisheries Control Regulation, in particular provisions prohibiting Union operators, including beneficial owners, from owning, operating or managing vessels registered under the flag of countries that have been issued a red card for non- cooperation in combatting IUU fishing;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)

7 c. Urges Member States to establish and maintain comprehensive databases that collect and record information on beneficial owners of registered vessels;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)

7 d. Encourages Member states to cooperate with the relevant authorities to ensure the accuracy and accessibility of data collected on the beneficial ownership of vessels in order to facilitate policy formation and the enforcement of the revised Fisheries Control Regulation;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 d (new)

– having regard to the Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Encourages the Commission to work swiftly to ensure that the CATCH IT system is fully operational and that Member State national authorities are fully familiarised with its use within two years from the date of application of Article 4 of the revised Fisheries Control Regulation;deleted

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. WStrongly welcomes the establishment of the new CATCH IT system by the revised Fisheries Control Regulation;

Amendment 82 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. ~~Welcomes~~Is concerned about the establishment of the new CATCH IT system by the revised Fisheries Control Regulation;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

~~12. Urges the Commission to increase the number of staff working on ocean governance and IUU fishing within the Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries;~~deleted

Amendment 84 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT, France JAMET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. ~~Urges~~Calls on the Commission ~~to increase~~and the nuMember ~~of staff working on ocean governance and IUU fishing within the Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries~~States to support all actions to tackle IUU fishing at international level;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Calls for evaluations carried out by the EC with Member States on issues related to the implementation of IUU fishing controls to take the form of a routine audit programme of Member States’ control procedures;

Amendment 86 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Encourages those Member States t~~o ensure that~~hat so wish to put in place the necessary procedures ~~are put in place~~ in preparation for the legal adoption of the CATCH IT system ~~and to make sure that the system is ready for use as soon as possible~~;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Calls for a balanced representation of advisory council members, as well as the national fisheries stakeholders of the Member States concerned, in the discussions on the use of the IT system so that it can be effective and properly implemented from an operational perspective;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges the Member States to reinforce their control systems for preventing the import of illegal fishery products and to take the necessary action, and cooperate in the Mediterranean, making the fight against overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and climate change a common and shared objective;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges the Member States to reinforce their control systems for preventing the import of illegal fishery products and to take the necessary action; highlights the importance for improved traceability of all fisheries and aquaculture food products in order for consumer to be able to make informed decision when buying said products;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 e (new)

– having regard to its report on the implications of Chinese fishing operations on EU fisheries and the way forward,

Amendment 90 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Urges the Member States to reinforce their control systems for preventing the import and export of illegal fishery products and to take the necessary action;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Calls for a mechanism to be established within the new system to allow for the proactive sharing of intelligence and results of audits and inspections to ensure a constant flow of relevant information between Member States;

Amendment 92 #

Annalisa TARDINO, Rosanna CONTE, Massimo CASANOVA, Valentino GRANT, France JAMET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Underlines the importance of stakeholder involvement for the best possible implementation IUU Regulation;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14b. Calls for further clarification to be provided to Member States, through guidelines, in particular on the content and scope of the control and verification requirements for catch certificates on the basis of risk management, also in relation to consignments in transit;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Urges the Member States to apply dissuasive sanctions against illegal fishing~~Welcomes the new Fisheries Control Regulation, and urges the Member States to swiftly implement it, and contribute to apply effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; Effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions should contribute to reducing incentive to practice IUU fishing and deterring any future infringements;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Urges the~~Points out the legal obligation for Member States to apply proportionate and dissuasive sanctions against ~~illegal~~IUU fishing;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Welcomes the full traceability of fresh, frozen and processed fishing products as agreed in new Fisheries Control Regulation, which will contribute to increase of food security in the EU and push for third countries to increase traceability to allow their fishing products to enter the Union market;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15 b. Recognizes that effective enforcement of IUU fishing regulations requires collaboration between Member States and a coordinated approach at the EU level. Encourages the Commission together with European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) to increase coordinating efforts to combat illegal fishing, share best practices, and harmonize enforcement activities across Member States;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)

15 c. Recognizes the importance of fostering cooperation with civil society organizations and community stakeholders in the fight against IUU fishing. Calls on the Commission to engage in partnerships with these organizations to promote sustainable fishing practices and to ensure that the voices of affected communities are heard in the decision-making process;

Amendment 99 #