European Union News - Agriculture & Fisheries

According to the latest estimates released by Eurostat, the EU agricultural income per worker that comprises the income generated by agricultural activities over a given accounting period, has increased by 1.0% in 2012, after an increase of 8.0% in 2011.

The European Commission published guidelines to improve understanding of how aquaculture can be carried out inside Natura 2000, the EU-wide network of protected natural areas. These guidelines focus on the implementation of the provisions on appropriate assessment under the Habitats Directive.

The reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) was the main subject to discuss during the first day of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting held on 28 November. Ministers focused the discussions in particular in direct payments, the single CMO and rural development.

The European Commission has adopted the inclusion of 235 additional natural areas to the Natura 2000 network. The last update includes not only the inclusion of new sites, but also the extension and modification of some that were already part of the network. Further to the update the Natura 2000 network amounts for nearly 25,000 km2 of protected areas.

The European Parliament approved the reform of the law that allows exceptions to cut off shark fins and dumping carcasses at sea. The ban, in place since 2003, prohibited removing shark fins on board vessels.

The European Commission presented its proposal for fishing opportunities for fish stocks under international agreements in 2013. International negotiations for many of the stocks concerned are still on-going. It will be completed once negotiations with third parties and organisations have taken place.

The European Commission presented an Action Plan that sets up a management framework to minimise seabird bycatch to the lowest levels practically possible. It consists of 30 recommended actions that focus on long line and static net fisheries where seabird bycatch which are known to be highest.

The European Commission warned Belize, Cambodia, Fiji, Guinea, Panama, Sri Lanka, Togo and Vanuatu that they risk being identified as countries it considers non-cooperative in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Commission identified concrete shortcomings, such as lack of dialogue or lack of actions to address deficiencies in monitoring, controlling and surveillance of fisheries, and suggests corrective actions to resolve them.

The European Commission has as priority at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) annual meeting the Bluefin tuna. In addition to this, the EU will also continue to propose measures for the protection of sharks including porbeagle and shortfin mako and supporting comprehensive measures for the conservation of Blue and White Marlin.