The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) is calling for the European Commission to recognise the importance of the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) in the post-2020 EU budget, and to reinforce its partnership with Regions to increase the fund’s effectiveness.
‘The results of the Common Fisheries Policy have been positive in recent years. It is now crucial that fisheries and blue growth receive full attention in the upcoming legislative package for the post 2020 EU budget, and the EMFF is given an ambitious budget,’ said CPMR President, Vasco Cordeiro.
In a policy position agreed by its member Regions, the CPMR calls for the European Commission to firstly maintain the EMFF as a specific fund to support the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) as a priority, and secondly to support Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP).
‘The EU needs an IMP in which the EMFF supports pilot initiatives and cross-cutting maritime issues such as climate change, education, maritime spatial planning and the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Shared management should be introduced in the IMP,’ Vasco Cordeiro said.
CPMR’s position is that EMFF needs to be simplified to increase its effectiveness, and the number of regulations relating to the CFP and EMFF should be reduced, while a post-2020 EMFF should rely on a results-based approach, rather than on the current logic of defining eligible measures and control procedures.
‘Partnership with the regions should be reinforced at regional, sea-basin and European level. Regions should be strongly involved and it should be possible to develop EMFF regional programmes. Specific needs should be reflected in sea-basin strategies, which EMFF must continue to support. An annual conference on the CFP should be organised,’ he commented.
‘EMFF should be provided with a budget in line with ambitions of European union. It is necessary, as a minimum, to maintain the EMFF budget for the post-2020 period.’
CPMR also wants to see the European Commission deliver an ambitions post-2020 budget, stating that an ambitious EU requires an ambitious European budget.
‘This is the only way for the EU to support action on new challenges such as security and climate change,’ Vasco Cordeiro said. ‘CPMR is calling for the European Commission to design a budget that give regions the flexibility they need to tackle increasing regional disparities, in line with their regional development strategies.’
‘If the post-2020 EU budget is to work for its citizens, it must give regions the leeway they need to tackle regional disparities and boost growth,’ commented CPMR Secretary General, Eleni Marianou. ‘Shared management programmes, such as those falling under Cohesion Policy, must be at the heart of reforms for a fresh European budget for 2020 and beyond.’
