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Europaudvalget 2011-12
EUU Alm.del Bilag 267
Offentligt

The Social Dimension of the CFP reform

HAT IS THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF THE

EU'

S FISHERIES SECTOR

By 2007 (last available complete figures), the total number of full time jobs in the EU

fisheries sector (including catching, aquaculture, processing and ancillary services to the

other segments) was close to 355,000. The catching segment accounted for close to

145,000 (46%), processing for 137,000 (34%) and aquaculture for 55,000 jobs (16%).

Ancillary services accounted for the remaining 4% (18,000). The small scale coastal

fleets (vessels under 12 meters with passive gears) represent around 40% of the

employment in the catching sector and ca 80% of the EU fishing vessels.

Compared with the whole of the EU economy, the EU fisheries sector represents less

than 0.2% of total EU employment. However, in some Member States (e.g. Greece,

1.5%), or regions (e.g. Galicia, Spain, 3%), or coastal communities (e.g. Killybegs,

Ireland, 68%) the sector is an important source of jobs. Employment trends are negative,

in line with the evolution of most primary sectors in the EU - since 2002 the employment

declined by 31% in the catching segment and by 16% in aquaculture. In processing

employment decreased only by 6.5% since this industry increasingly relies on imports

from various MS or from third countries.

HAT ARE THE SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE

FISHERIES SECTOR

In addition to the above

decline in employment

(particularly in the catching sector), the

CFP reform Impact Assessment identified as a key problem a

low attractiveness

of the

catching sector, particularly for new generations of fishermen. A recent study of 24

coastal communities shows that fleets have increasing difficulties to complete crews with

local, well qualified people and have to resort to foreigners or –in small scale fleets- to

continue working even beyond the legal retirement age.

That lack of attractiveness is the result of relatively low wages (compared with jobs

ashore) combined with hard working conditions and safety concerns. In addition,

the

number of jobs depending on the fisheries sector is declining in the majority of

coastal areas

which puts some of them at risk of not being viable in the future.

Furthermore the aquaculture activity in Europe has stagnated in recent years, thus failing

to provide the much needed jobs in inland and coastal areas of Europe. Aquaculture has

the potential to create more attractive jobs (average salaries being higher and working

conditions better than in capture fisheries) but the potential of this activity has not been

fully unlocked in Europe.

HAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE

CFP

IS NOT REFORMED

The simulations conducted in the CFP Reform Impact Assessment show that in the

absence of the CFP reform, the decline of employment in the catching segment will

continue at a steady pace of 1 - 2% per year. Quality of employment, in terms of wages

and safety, will remain low. Such an evolution will have severe negative impacts on the

viability of most vulnerable coastal communities.

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HAT ARE THE SOCIAL OBJECTIVES OF THE REFORMED

CFP?

Social sustainability is one of the core CFP objectives and the reformed CFP aims at

achieving the following mid and long-term social objectives:

•

reversing the decline in employment in the fisheries sector, particularly in catching;

•

increasing the attractiveness of the fisheries sector and turning it into a source of high

quality jobs;

•

ensuring the viability of coastal communities by promoting economic growth and

jobs;

•

facilitating the transition to a sustainable fishing;

•

unlock the potential of European aquaculture to expand and create new jobs in inland

as well as in marine aquaculture.

All tools of the new CFP would need to contribute to achieving these objectives;

however the main tool of the new CFP in this respect is the new European Maritime and

Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Compared to the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), the EMFF

brings about a fundamental change of approach to public funding to the fisheries sector

through a focus on collective actions and on the viability of coastal areas rather than fleet

subsidies benefitting mostly vessel owners. Therefore, the EMFF proposes to eliminate

most of the current fleet measures and instead use this part of the funding for achieving

economic viability of the fleets and aquaculture sector (innovation, value added and

marketing) and for the promotion of the development and diversification of areas

depending on fishing.

O REVERSE THE DECLINE OF EMPLOYMENT IN THE FISHERIES SECTOR

Achieving environmental sustainability as quickly as possible is a precondition for social

sustainability. The simulations in the CFP reform Impact Assessment show that once

MSY levels are achieved, TACs will go up; the overall increase being at least 20% by

2020.

Such a significant increase has a potential to create new jobs in the catching

sector,

as shown by the fact that, according to the simulations, employment per vessel

increases already after 2017. This is also in line with experience of countries such as

New Zealand, where the use of management instruments allowing for the transition to

sustainable fishing, very similar to those proposed by CFP reform, ultimately resulted in

increases in catches and, consequently, in employing more capital and manpower in the

fleets.

It is also in line with the EU's own experience as 13 EU stocks are already at MSY level

and some others will reach it in one or two years. That has allowed for TAC increases for

2012 (e.g. herring in Celtic Sea, cod in Irish Sea, anglerfish in the South West Atlantic

and North Sea Herring to mention only a few). It is precisely these TAC increases that

help to maintain employment in the sector and represent a significant source of additional

income for fishermen. As examples, these increases may represent an additional income

of €10 million for herring fishermen in the Celtic Sea, an additional €13 million for cod

fishermen in the Irish Sea or €12 million more income for anglerfish fishermen in the

West Atlantic. The biggest increase will be felt by the herring fishermen in the North Sea

whose income may double to €212 million following the sustainable management of this

stock towards MSY 2015.

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However, the problem associated to MSY objectives is the hard transition period, where

additional short-term job losses are to be expected in EU fleets dependent on overfished

stocks and showing overcapacity, which characterises the majority of EU stocks. Support

will be available under the new EMFF to help fishermen navigate the transition period to

environmental sustainability. However, the above data are clear proof that the economic

reward for the short-term difficulties is well worth the effort and what is more, the

additional economic wealth will have a positive impact on all coastal areas in the EU.

Increased catches and aquaculture production would also create

additional employment

in processing.

In that respect, estimations show that at least 4,500 additional jobs will be

created in processing, mostly in fisheries-dependent coastal areas.

The increased focus of the CFP on aquaculture should also bring about additional jobs in

that segment, under the condition that Member States give the right priority to

aquaculture in the context of their national management of potential inland aquaculture

sites and coastal areas. It is also expected that jobs will be created under the current Axis

4 of the EFF, which starts to bear fruit now and will continue to do so until 2015.

Finally, estimations in the EMFF Impact Assessment, based on the experience of

LEADER on which Axis 4 has been modelled, show that a

bigger focus on the

territorial development pillar could allow creating some 12,500 jobs in coastal areas

by 2022, both within and beyond the maritime sector.

OW TO INCREASE THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE FISHERIES SECTOR

Improving the attractiveness, particularly of the catching sector, requires actions

intended, on one hand, to increase income and wages, and, on the other, to improve

working conditions, training and safety.

Fishing on sustainable stocks would also increase income and wages: simulations done

for the Impact Assessment of the CFP reform show that the

average wages under the

reformed CFP will nearly double

in comparison to what would happen in the absence

of reform.

The following measures under the EMFF aim at

reducing fishing costs or increasing

income:

•

Measures to facilitate the transition to environmentally sustainable CFP: the purchase

of selective gears, investment in equipment allowing storing discards on board and

investments on the necessary port facilities to land unwanted catches, etc;

•

support to marketing and business development intended to improve income through

more involvement in selling and marketing their products. Support to product quality,

labelling and certification, and to the development of new markets;

•

better market organisation through the reinforced support to Producers Organisations

and through promotion of collective projects carried by fisheries organisations; and

•

focus on innovation in order to promote new ideas and products across the value

chain.

•

support to new activities carried by fishermen which might complement their income

(involvement in NATURA 2000 management, litter collection).

The EMFF will be also an important tool for

improving working conditions, training

and safety.

In that respect, it will support:

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•

safety and health measures, including both on board modernisation and individual

safety equipment and contributing to better working conditions;

•

professional advice and training eligible to spouses of fishers and helping them to run

family's fisheries business; and

•

vocational training, re-qualification and life-long learning.

All these actions should significantly improve the attractiveness of jobs, particularly of

the catching sector. They need however, to be given priority by Member States in the

EMFF Operational Programmes. CFP reform tools give Member States a significant

margin of manoeuvre to define and achieve social objectives with the only condition that

national preferences do not jeopardise the potential of the CFP reform to achieve

environmental sustainability in the short term.

A quick ratification by MS of two important Conventions concerning fishermen, i.e. the

ILO Convention C 188 on work in fishing and the IMO Convention on Standards of

Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for fishing vessel personnel will be important

to further enhance the attractiveness of the sector.

The Commission will give an immediate boost to the aquaculture sector so as to

overcome the stagnation that has characterised this economic activity over the last 15

years in the EU. In order to do so, the EMFF proposes to enlarge the scope of eligible

actions to foster aquaculture activities. These actions will aim at improved

competitiveness and viability of farms and will also focus on the improvement of image

and consumer perception and on tailored planning of production and marketing. New

forms of income in aquaculture would also be stimulated by promoting high-value

products, niche market development, inland aquaculture, multi-trophic aquaculture, etc,

and increased respect of norms on environment, health and animal welfare. Aquaculture

operators would also receive support for advisory services on business development, and

on conversion to eco-management and organic aquaculture and providing of

environmental services.

Member States should also contribute to developing EU aquaculture by administrative

simplification, securing allocation of waters and space and facilitating new entrants to the

industry. They should also take an active role in the future open method of coordination,

which can be a powerful tool for national strategy development.

OW TO ENSURE THE LONG TERM VIABILITY OF COASTAL COMMUNITIES

The EMFF focuses on people, particularly small scale fishermen and on coastal areas

depending on fishing.

The focus on small scale fishermen is achieved by the inclusion of dedicated measures

(such as business advisory services), by a higher aid intensity and by the creation of the

link between the financial allocation and the share of these fleets. Beyond the EMFF, the

new CFP would maintain the current access limitations in the 12 nautical miles waters

and existing provisions in relation to control, such as the derogation to the vessel

monitoring system equipment.

Regarding coastal communities, the EMFF builds on the success of the current Axis 4 of

the EFF with increased funding options for sustainable development of fisheries areas,

optional co-ordination of EMFF with local funding strands available under ERDF and

EARDF, and with more funding available overall.

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Integrated local development strategies should become a tool for coastal areas to promote

new employment opportunities, within and beyond the fisheries sector. The potential for

this economic diversification is broad and includes job creation in the dynamically

expanding new maritime sectors, such as pesca-tourism and valorisation of fisheries

cultural heritage. At the same time, they can support the increase of the contribution of

fisheries and aquaculture activities to local economies through actions aiming at

increasing their value.

The EMFF also includes, for the first time, an IMP pillar, managed centrally. Its

implementation will help to explore new possibilities of growth and jobs the maritime

economy and coastal regions.

Member States can also take additional measures under EFF, by directing more towards

Axis 4 as a way to speed up the process of job creation which in many coastal areas has

already started.

Finally, closer co-ordination of EU funding – through Common Strategic Framework,

Partnerships Contracts and Community-led Local Development – opens up new

possibilities for creation of jobs in fisheries dependent areas. For example, European

Social Fund can be used for re-training and getting new skills for fishermen while

projects aiming at urban re-generation funded under ERDF can directly benefit coastal

communities.