Subject: POSEI - Fisheries in Portugal
POSEI Fisheries was established in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), the rules of which were laid down by the Commission in Implementing Regulation (EU) No 771/2014 of 14 July 2014. It is a specific programme to address the remoteness and insularity of the outermost regions, with the aim of compensating for the additional costs borne by operators for fishing, and in the processing and sale of associated products.
Approximately EUR 30.5 million were allocated to the Azores, and EUR 14.5 million to Madeira, to compensate for the additional costs in the current programming period (2014-2020).
Bearing these amounts in mind, what is the rate of implementation for the compensation plans for Portugal?
Does the Commission consider the implementation of POSEI Fisheries to be more efficient since it was integrated into the EMFF?
In view of the disadvantages of the outermost regions, does the Commission think it would make more sense to set up an independent programme associated with the EMFF that is regulated, financed and managed specifically to support fisheries and agriculture in the outermost regions?
Answer given by Mr Vella on behalf of the European Commission
(14 August 2018)
For the 2014-2020 programming period, the compensation of additional costs incurred by operators in the fishing, farming, processing and marketing of certain fishery and aquaculture products from the outermost regions was integrated in the shared management within the operational programme adopted by the Commission in the framework of the regulation (EU) No 508/2014 (1).
According to information received from the national authorities, the rate of payments to beneficiaries of the compensation regime on 1 June 2018 was 40% and 30% for the outermost regions of Azores and Madeira respectively.
The compensation allocation is ring-fenced for the whole of the 2014-2020 programming period and the inclusion of the compensation regime within the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) allowed simplifications and synergies for investments in fishing, farming, processing and marketing of seafood products.
In its proposal for EMFF Regulation for the period 2021-2027 (2), the Commission proposes to maintain the compensation regime integrated in the EMFF operational programme and to develop a new strategic and integrated approach for the outermost regions in order to enhance the development of blue economy sectors, including fisheries and aquaculture.
This strategic approach would be based, in each outermost region, on an action plan for the development of the sustainable blue economy. The proposal provides for a specific financial allocation to support the implementation of these action plans, covering both structural support and the compensation regime.
Concerning agriculture, the EAGF (3) and EAFRD (4) already finance specific measures to support agriculture in the outermost regions through the POSEI programmes and rural development programmes.
⋅1∙ Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, OJ L 149, 20.5.2014, p. 1
⋅2∙ COM(2018) 390 final
⋅3∙ European Agricultural Guarantee Fund
⋅4∙ European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
