Minister Miguel Arias Cañete welcomed the agreement improvements. (Photo: Magrama)

The Spanish Government welcomes agreement on EMFF

SPAIN
Friday, November 02, 2012, 03:00 (GMT + 9)

The head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Magrama), Miguel Arias Cañete, welcomed the agreement on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) "because political agreements have been reached with substantial improvements to the proposal of the Commission in response to the demands of Spain."

The official pointed out that during the negotiation "it was urgent to crystallize that majority in the Council [of Fisheries of Luxembourg] that would stop the disappearance of aid for scrapping, temporary stoppages and modernizations."

The position taken by Spain in the Council is the one that had been agreed by the industry and the autonomous regions in the previous term, so it "makes no sense that the PSOE now criticizes the goals that they themselves set and agreed on," he added.

"I hope I can have the support of all parliamentary groups represented in Europe to enshrine the achievements," Arias Cañete stated.

With respect to the demands obtained, the Spanish minister stressed the aids for permanent cessation to operators and crew members, "which may be adopted until 2017 and paid until 2019, covering virtually all of the programming period."

He also referred to the temporary cessation aids for operators and crew members in case of emergency measures, the disruption of a fisheries protocol.

He also mentioned the support for investment in health, safety and selectivity on the boats, and for modernization by replacing motors with more efficient and environmentally friendly ones, reads the press release of Magrama.

Arias Cañete said that among the achievements reached, bankable measures on health and safety should be included, "as well as investments on board in health, hygiene and safety for operators and crew members, and investments in safety equipment for fishermen, both on board and on land."

Finally, Member States could receive a maximum of 20 per cent of the allocation for the Integrated Maritime Policy, under direct management of the Commission.

The aim is to develop a policy for maritime surveillance, protection of biodiversity and of the protected areas and improvement of the knowledge of the environmental situation.

Related article:

- Alliance with France, Poland and Portugal to maintain aid to fishing fleet

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
 

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