First report on the implementation of the multi-annual plans for the North Sea and Western Waters and the fisheries exploiting these stocks and on the delegation of powers conferred on the Commission by these multi-annual plans and by the Deep-Sea Access Regulation.
The implementation of the multiannual plans (MAPs) for the North Sea and the Western Waters, of Regulations (EU) 2018/973 and 2019/472 of the European Parliament and of the Council has contributed to a decrease in fishing pressure.
The MAPs are a helpful tool in implementing the common fisheries policy (CFP), notably in setting fishing opportunities. They set out rules for regionally-adapted fisheries management. For fish stocks with a data-rich (or maximum sustainable yield (MSY)) assessment, the MAPs allow the use of upper limits when setting total allowable catches (TACs), providing flexibility for healthier stocks. For stocks that have so few fish in the sea that they are below dangerous minimum levels, the MAPs create a safety net.
The Commission considers that certain decisions taken by the Council for stocks for which the Council had to reduce TACs and take additional remedial measures were made possible thanks to the framework put in place by the MAPs which combines a safety net and flexibility. Without a MAP in place, it may have been difficult for the Council to agree on remedial measures to recover weak stocks, and TACs would most likely have been set at a higher level. The MAPs have ensured that, today, all fisheries are either managed in line with MSY or that remedial measures are put in place to bring them back to MSY. Only healthier stocks can be the basis for the long-term profitability of the fishing industry and ancillary sectors. The MAPs have also provided flexibility for healthier stocks by allowing the use of the upper FMSY range under certain conditions.
The Commission concludes that the MAPs provide a stable long-term instrument to implement the CFP in the North Sea and Western Waters since they offer less uncertainty when setting TACs, ensure the adoption of remedial measures for stocks under pressure (including in the case of a fishing closure), make the TAC-setting process more transparent for stakeholders and EU Member States, and allow the fishing industry to better plan their fisheries.
Text from REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL
