The economic impact of the Middle East war and the additional Union support measures for European fishermen, the Common Fisheries Policy as well as the Commission’s maritime initiatives – such as the forthcoming Communication on a strategy for Coastal Communities – was outlined by European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, speaking at the 11 Delphi Economic Forum.
According to Mr Kadis, the situation for the European fleetis very serious. “The cost of fossil fuel is the main operational cost of our fisheries. The implications are serious. In several member states, fishermen whose profitability was limited have ended their operations. This affects both the food chain and coastal communities. That is why we as a committee have reacted to this situation. We activated the European Crisis Mechanism so that member states can use resources from this fund to support our fishermen,” he said. He even left open the possibility of more “targeted” measures to support fisheries at tomorrow’s Informal Summit in Nicosia.
Fisheries, according to the commissioner, is
“particularly vulnerable”
to wars due to rising energy costs and therefore we should “chart a course that will move us away from fossil fuels and away from similar shocks from future energy crises”.
As for the Common Fisheries Policy, which is currently under evaluation and whose conclusion will be announced next week at the informal Council of Fisheries Ministers in Cyprus, he argued that it has produced positive results so far. “We can achieve a balance between the socio-economic well-being of fishermen and the protection of the marine environment,” he added, saying that the EU imports 70% of its seafood needs and this “percentage must come down”.
In addition, Cadis talked about the strategy on coastal communities to be announced next June. The strategy, he explained, “will aim to provide an in-depth analysis of the challenges facing coastal and island regions. By proposing specific measures and actions to properly manage these challenges. The next step will be that these measures and these policy priorities will be reflected in the financial instruments of the European Union, so that both our island and coastal regions are effectively supported.”
He also referred to the EU Ocean Pact which is structured around six pillars and includes 90 actions and policies. “The marine environment needs to be well understood in order to protect it. We know more about the moon than the ocean,” he said, adding that Europe’s seas are home to critical infrastructure for security, defence and connectivity.
Finally, Mr. Kadis was asked to comment on the recent statement by the Turkish foreign ministry,which called “invalid and unsubstantiated” the maps issued by Greece on fishing restrictions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean
“It is important for all of us to respect international law. Greece has recently taken a positive step in its compliance with the EU’s Marine Spatial Planning Directive. This directive is fully harmonised with international law. We expect everyone to respect the directive and international law. Especially from a state that is a candidate for accession to the European Union,” he stressed.
