EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR MARITIME AFFAIRS AND FISHERIES

Transcription

1 EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR MARITIME AFFAIRS AND FISHERIES INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND MARKETS TRADE AND MARKETS Ref. Ares(2013) /07/2013 Bruxelles, le ADV D(2013) MEETING REPORT Subject: Expert Group for Markets and Trade in Fishery and Aquaculture Products - MTFAP Brussels, 11 and 12 July 2013 Chair: Mr Christian Rambaud Commission: Messrs. Xavier Guillou, Ludovic Schultz, Jesús González García, Miguel Peña, Joost Paardekooper, Ms Barbara Focquet, Anna Zito, Evangelia Georgiisi, Miriam Hârtiei, Amalia de Diego (DG MARE) 1. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA The AIPCEE asked to add a point to clarify the "date of minimum durability" foreseen in the new regulation on CMO, the chairman accepted this addition under any other business and the amended Agenda was subsequently adopted. 2. EU MARKET OBSERVATORY FOR FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS - EUMOFA The large attendance (over 50 participants) and representativeness demonstrate interest and ownership by MS and stakeholders for EUMOFA. EUMOFA is meeting a need and filling the gap of market data availability Access Access remains a concern in particular with security certificate. EUMOFA team is working on fixing current IT problems and expect to get EUMOFA website hosted m the European Commission's server very soon at the following address: Participants emphasised that lay-out and user-friendliness have been substantially improved. Commission européenne, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE-Tél P:\DirB\B2\O8\OCM\CFP Reförm\Amalía\Comite et groupe experts\201307l Minutes.doc

2 2.2. Data provision Commission is very grateful to MS involvement in this collaborative project and thanks the data and markets teams involved. The objective of a smooth and regular transmission of data has been achieved with a very large geographical coverage. The Commission believes that the workload requested is worth the value of the market intelligence provided Data quality and control Provision of quality data is the core of EUMOFA services. Most of the data is provided by public authorities (Commission and MS) that conduct internal control. Additional automatic checks and contrais are carried out by EUMOFA. All prices and volumes disseminated are monitored. Suspicious data is automatically spotted when it divergences from its trends. It is cross-checked with each provider, and then confirmed or modified. Additional checks are conducted by EUMOFA markets analysts. MS services demonstrated good reactivity in this quality control process which benefits to all. However users are encouraged to report any questions or doubts on data. Users can receive support by phone (hotline available for Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, UK) and by MARE-EUMOFA@ec.euroDa.eu 2.4. Publications EUMOFA Monthly Highlights publications are reported to reach its target of providing overview of markets trends. Participants would like to see the delay being shortened between data availability and publication of related Monthly Highlights. The industry indicated its availability and interest in being associated prior to publication in particular for markets analysis and price structure case studies. EUMOFA will publish a first yearly EU market report in the third trimester EUMOFA services and training Commission presented the main services offered by EUMOFA. It illustrated them with case studies touching on a wide variety of issues (e.g. time series of cod retail prices in France, prices in the supply chain of Dutch sole, comparison of landings for a selection of MS by main groups of species, supply balance...). Four dedicated training / workshops enabled participants in small groups to interact directly with the application and see how they can in practice get data they are looking for. 2

3 This enables conducting data extraction on real cases of interest and to clarify the price formation methodology used. All aggregation tables, conversion factors for harmonisation are available in the home page under the "Methodology" section. Commission indicated its availability to conduct similar information and training at MS or stakeholders request Conclusions and next steps Possibilities of increasing cooperation have been identified and bilateral contact will be taken: - with MS not currently part of the project - with MS involved but providing partial data - with professional organisations that could contribute to fill some data gaps. Help providing more updated estimates In terms of publications, medium term planning is called for to enable stakeholders to contribute and avoid possible duplications. The Commission encourages MS and stakeholders to inform EUMOFA on publications and markets studies being published. EUMOFA platform could help dissemination and publicising. MS and stakeholders are invited to make reference and include EUMOFA logo and website address on their national website. Medium term possible developments of the web-service were mentioned and need to be investigated: - data provided by use: human, non-human; - automatic alert and generated when new set of data available on selected issues; - price transmission analytical tool: reflection to be conducted on "costs of sustainability", availability of background data used for the graphs, links with production data and costs. 3. MARKET ADVISORY COUNCIL The Commission (Joost Paardekooper) briefly explained the procedure that stakeholders have to follow in order to establish a new Advisory Council (AC), as this procedure is defined in Council decision 2004/585 (stakeholders-driven initiative to propose a new AC, approval of the proposal by the Member States concerned - i.e. all the Member States for the markets AC - and decision of the Commission according to which the AC becomes operational). However, it was underlined that the Council decision 2004/585 will be repealed once the delegated 3

4 act on the functioning of AC enters into force. Therefore, some details on the functioning of AC may be modified m the near future. 4. PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PLANS The Commission made a presentation (see attachment) including the following points: - Legislative state of play; - Presentation of the future system (General principles and Structure of the PMP); - Methods of implementation (eligibility to EMFF), times limits and procedures, financial programming and examples of measures that could be implemented under a PMP Exchange of views took place on the following issues: 4.1. Objectives Some MS wanted to know if PMP shall address all the objectives listed in the CFP and CMO to be validated by the competent national authorities. The Commission reminded that PO should contribute to the achievement of a certain number of objectives deriving from the CFP general objectives and listed in the CMO regulation. At least, PO should contribute to: - all the objectives listed under article 3.1 (for fishery PO) or 3.2 (for aquaculture PO) of the CMO regulation; - two or more of the objectives listed under article 3.3 of the CMO regulation; - in addition, PO may pursue complementary objectives as laid down under article 3.4 of the CMO regulation Financing, eligibility Some participants requested precision on the conditions of the financing by FEAMP of the measures included in a PMP. The Commission remmded that article 69 of the EMFF regulation provided for a support to the preparation and implementation of the PMP, the latest considered as the strategic framework or the global content for specific measures to be deployed consistently with the objectives defined in the PMP. A maximum amount for the aids provided to a PO under article 69 is established at 3 % of the average annual value of the marketed production of the PO placed on their members during the preceding 3 calendar years. Concerning the different specific measures included in the PMP these can be eligible to different articles of the EMFF, depending on their nature and they should be financed through these specific articles. 4

5 Concerning the level of financial intensity, it has been reminded that as long as the measures programed in the PMP were implemented by a PO, they benefit from the specific intensity rules applicable to POs as laid down in article 95 and as detailed in Annexe I of the EMFF regulation. Discussions focused on certain measures that could be implemented corresponding to the different objectives of the PMP. 43. Implementation Different questions were raised about the implementation calendar, in particular for (Year (N)) The Commission detailed the following schedule, making clear that no transitional measures will be necessary for 2014; - during the last quarter of the year (N-l), Member States will evaluate the amount of the aid to be provisioned for the support of the PMP in their country and take this amount into account in the Operational Program they will submit to the Commission; in parallel - POs should start their Production and Marketing plans in order to discuss it with their competent national authorities from the beginning of the year (N); - from the 1 st January of the year (N), the competent national authorities will approve the production and marketing plans and could grant an advance of 50 % of the annual aid agreed for the PMP; - during the year (N), POs will have the opportunity, with the consent of the competent national authorities, to revise their PMP; - at the beginning of the following year (N+l), POs will have to submit an annual report of their activities during the Year (N) to their competent national authorities; - the national competent authority will approve the annual report or discuss the appropriate corrections with the relevant PO. Upon approval of the report, the national authority will pay the remaining part of the aid. The Commission invited MS and PO to start working on preparing PMP for 2014, having in mind the schedule developed previously. Discussions also took place on the indicators that should base the control of the implementation of the PMP by the competent national authorities. The Commission reminded that the PMP should clearly be linked to the effective achievement of the CFP and CMO objectives. Thus, this contribution must be evaluated and the Commission suggested different type of "monitoring" and "outcome" indicators to be linked to each measure of the PMP. In any case, PO and national authorities should define for each measure planed the most appropriate indicator. Finally, the Commission made clear that PO belonging to a PO association will have to make a choice between presenting their own PMP or taking part 5

6 in the PO association PMP but will not be allowed to follow two different PMP. 5. ANY OTHER BUSINESS Upon AIPCEE's request for clarification of the "date of minimum durability" laid down in the new CMO Regulation, the Commission explained that the political agreement reached by the co-legislators on the new CMO included the mandatory indication of that date. The date of minimum durability is a requirement under Regulation 1169/2011 on food information to consumers and thus applies to prepacked products. However, in the case of fishery and aquaculture products this date will also apply to non-prepacked products since it has been mcluded in the new CMO. Chairman Annexes: 1. Participants list 2. Powerpomt presentation - Market Observatory 3. Powerpomt presentation - Production and marketing plans Messrs. Depypere and Commission participants β