Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§74 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Regulation affecting movement or transit |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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The member States are required to ensure that all fishing activities are sufficiently documented in order to monitor compliance with the landing obligation. Monitoring compliance is ensured through various measures, such as professional observers or closed-circuit television (CCTV). The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) requires member States to report on results (number of serious infringements detected and landings subject to physical controls) and output (number of projects on implementing the Union's control, inspections and enforcement system) indicators in their EMFF operational programmes and implementing reports.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§75 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
General environmental reference |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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The reform has put an emphasis on more decentralized governance by having a decision-making process at national and regional level. The Green Paper that preceded the 2014 reform of the CFP recognized that different regions and communities may require specific local measures: "The current decision-making framework of the CFP does not distinguish principles from implementation: all decisions are taken in Council at the highest political level. This has resulted in a focus on short-term considerations at the expense of the longer term environmental, economic and social sustainability of European fisheries."
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Keywords
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Fish
Environment
Sustainable
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§76 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
General environmental reference |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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Under the reformed CFP, the member States may submit joint recommendations for achieving the conservation objectives of the Union, if certain conditions are met, such as having consulted relevant Advisory Councils. The recommendations must be based on scientific advice and be compatible with relevant conservation measures and/or multi-annual plans. If these conditions are met, the Commission may adopt those measures by means of delegated or implementing acts. As of February 2017, the European Commission had received joint recommendations by three member States (Denmark, Germany, and Sweden) for fisheries in two basins (North Sea and Baltic Sea).
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§77 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Other environmental requirements |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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The reform of the CFP requires member States to adjust their fishing capacities to bring them into line with fishing opportunities. The member States are required to submit an annual report on the balance between the fishing capacity of their fleet and the fishing opportunities, using the guidelines prepared by the European Commission. If imbalances between capacity and opportunities are identified, action plans should be incorporated into the report. These reports are required to be submitted to the Commission by 31 March each year, and are made publicly available. A failure to report, or to implement actions, may result in a suspension or interruption of relevant EU financial assistance.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§78 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Other environmental requirements |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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The member States are required to comply with a fleet entry/exit scheme without introducing additional fishing capacity. Departures from the fishing fleet should not be supported by public aid unless fishing licences and authorizations are withdrawn. In addition, when fishing vessels are withdrawn with public aid, their corresponding fishing capacities should not be replaced.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§79 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Other price and market based measures |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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Under the CFP reform, a member State may introduce a system for transferable fishing concessions (TFC), which is a way to allocate the yearly national quotas among fishermen in a given member State. Among EU members, TFCs have been used for example in Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§80 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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EU fishing activities outside EU waters are based on the same principles as fishing within the EU. Arrangements for fishing outside the EU are to be developed through Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and through Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs).
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§81 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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The EU has actively continued to participate in two types of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs): for highly migratory fish stocks (6 tuna RFMOs) and for other fish stocks (11 non-tuna RFMOs). The EU is also an active participant in multilateral negotiations on the law of the sea and international fisheries law under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and other international agreements and conventions dealing with fishing such as UN FAO, and the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The EU continues to cooperate with third countries and international organizations to fight illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing worldwide.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§82 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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Regarding arrangements with non-EU countries, the EU has two types of fishing agreements: "Northern Agreements" on joint management of shared stocks with Norway, Iceland and the Faeroe Islands (reciprocal agreements); and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs), in the context of which the EU provides financial and technical support in exchange for fishing rights, mainly with developing countries.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/357/REV.1 |
S-IV§83 |
European Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Other environmental requirements |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) aim at improving some aspects of earlier Fisheries Partnership Agreements, by stressing resource conservation and environmental sustainability in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of partner countries. For instance: European vessels must possess authorization to fish in waters in accordance with partnership agreements; and they may catch only surplus stock, which can be exploited in a sustainable manner (consistent with the MSY approach) based on scientific assessments provided by scientific committees or RFMOs' recommendations and on information exchanges with partner countries.
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Keywords
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Fish
Sustainable
Natural resources
Conservation
Environment
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