On the implementation of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation in fisheries and aquaculture – Regulation (EU) 1379/2013

on the implementation of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation in fisheries and aquaculture – Regulation (EU) 1379/2013

(2023/2049(INI))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1184/2006 and No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 (CMO Regulation), and to the implementation thereof,

–having regard to the report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council of 21 February 2023 entitled ‘Implementation of Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products’ (COM(2023)0101),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 20 May 2020 entitled ‘A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system’ (COM(2020)0381),

–having regard to its resolution of 20 October 2021 on a farm to fork strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system,

–having regard to the outcome of the negotiations on the Fisheries Control Regulation,

–having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure, as well as Article 1(1)(e) of, and Annex 3 to, the decision of the Conference of Presidents of 12 December 2002 on the procedure for granting authorisation to draw up own-initiative reports,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A9-0000/2022),

A.whereas it stressed, in its resolution on a farm to fork strategy, that good traceability mechanisms, which respond to consumer demand by providing information on where, when, how and what fish has been caught or farmed, including for products imported from outside the EU, are essential for ensuring food safety, guaranteeing transparency for consumers, fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fisheries and achieving the targets of the Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals;

B.whereas the provisional agreement between Parliament and the Council on the revised Fisheries Control Regulation contains major improvements to traceability rules for all fishery and aquaculture products; whereas these rules will be implemented over a transition period that will be longer than desirable – two years for fresh and frozen products and five years for processed products – and will ensure that consumers receive accurate information; whereas improved labelling will be a tool for combating IUU fishing and will contribute to ensuring fair competition;

Introduction

1.Recalls that the common organisation of the markets (CMO) is an integral part of the common fisheries policy (CFP) alongside conservation and financial measures, and is vital for achieving their objectives;

2.Highlights the fact that the 2013 revision of the CMO Regulation resulted in a shift from certain types of interventions to an approach more oriented towards the long-term market, with a focus on development and innovation in the sector;

Professional organisations

3.Considers producer organisations (POs) to be the backbone of the fishery and aquaculture sector, supporting the day-to-day management of the CFP and enabling its collective implementation at producer level;

4.Is of the opinion that POs have a key role in helping to achieve the objectives of the CFP, which is why they need to be further supported; notes that more must be done to promote the set-up, consolidation and financing of POs across the EU, particularly in Member States where primary production has largely remained fragmented (aquaculture, small-scale fisheries); considers that strong PO presence is crucial for enhancing the prosperity of coastal communities and strengthening the position of fishers in the supply chain;

5.Concludes that properly functioning POs generally have successful measures and actions, but observes that there is still a lack of POs organising small-scale fishers and aquaculture farmers in particular; notes that the aquaculture POs currently in operation have been particularly successful in their promotion and communication activities;

6.Considers that there are currently organisations in the Member States that perform tasks and functions falling within the remit of POs, but that these organisations cannot qualify as POs under the CMO Regulation;

7.Notes that the COVID-19 crisis resulted in the sudden closure of most outlets for fresh aquatic food products, making it opportune to restore the option of using storage aid mechanisms and to extend these to cover aquaculture POs;

Common marketing standards

8.Recalls that many of the marketing standards included in the 2013 CMO Regulation date from the 1980s and 1990s; notes that according to the Commission evaluation, these standards have generally been relevant and efficient and have brought added value;

9.Points out that the Commission evaluation and the underlying consultations identified opportunities for simplifying, streamlining and modernising the standards; notes that it also found a relatively low level of monitoring by national authorities when it comes to ensuring compliance with the standards;

10.Highlights the fact that the Commission evaluation identified shortcomings in the existing framework in terms of its ability to achieve the objectives of the CMO Regulation;

Consumer information

11.Agrees that for the CMO to fully achieve its objectives, consumers must be informed, through marketing and educational campaigns, of the value of eating fishery and aquaculture products, the wide variety of species available and the importance of understanding the information on labels; believes that for consumers to be able to make informed choices, they should receive clear and comprehensive information on the products sold on the EU market, and that this information should comply with the same rules, regardless of the products’ origin;

12.Argues that traceability and related transparency measures are necessary for ensuring compliance with applicable CFP rules; believes that if these measures are supported by a proper labelling system, they can guarantee that the information provided to consumers is trustworthy and reliable; highlights the fact that such a labelling system is vital for combating both food fraud, including mislabelling, and IUU fishing;

13.Notes that the Commission received, in its consultations, reports indicating that mandatory consumer information requirements had not been met in some Member States; notes that implementation throughout the EU is considered to be uneven and this is particularly significant in some segments, such as fishmongers and mass caterers; recalls that labelling must provide an accurate description of fishery and non-fishery products, in particular when mentioning substitute products, as in many cases images are used that make consumers think certain products are fishery products when they are not;

Competition rules

14.Recalls that POs may be exempted from the application of competition rules in order to achieve their objectives, subject to certain conditions, including that their activities do not lead to the partitioning of markets, do not exclude competition and do not eliminate competition;

15.Notes that this exemption is essential for allowing some practices used by POs, such as controlling the quantities put on the market by PO members in order to stabilise markets and prices, comply with conservation requirements and avoid food waste; concludes that non-recognised collective bodies of producers (e.g. cooperatives, cofradías) may not benefit from the exemption under the current criteria for POs;

Market intelligence

16.Recalls that the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA) provides market intelligence to operators in the fishery sector to help them to better understand market trends; notes that a dedicated website and database have been online since April 2013 and have been fully operational since the entry into force of the revised CMO, benefiting research bodies, stakeholders and the general public by increasing access to market intelligence and data;

17.Notes that the EUMOFA was used to trigger crisis measures to address the impact of the COVID pandemic;

Conclusions

18.Welcomes the progress made in implementing the CMO rules; highlights the need for further efforts in ensuring that consumers are properly informed, improving labelling, enhancing market transparency and increasing the traceability of fishery and aquaculture products;

19.Believes that the Commission and the Member States need to make more effort to achieve more uniform implementation of the CMO Regulation; is of the opinion that more uniform implementation could help to ensure consumer trust in the aquatic food products placed on the single market;

20.Welcomes the Commission’s intention to present a proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems with the aim of enhancing transparency and providing consumers with more information; highlights the need to ensure that this does not create an additional administrative burden and aligns with the sustainability condition set down in EU legislation;

21.Welcomes the outcome of the negotiations on the revision of the Fisheries Control Regulation, in particular the rules aiming to strengthen traceability provisions for all fishery and aquaculture products; is of the opinion that this traceability information will be very important for European consumers; calls on the Commission to propose further action to ensure that this information reaches final consumers in a simple, accessible format;

22.Believes that the Member States should make greater use of the EUMOFA in order to further improve the data collected under the instrument; is of the opinion that the EUMOFA could be used more to analyse the market, particularly when there are drastic changes, such as those that occurred during the COVID crisis, with a view to activating crisis tools and options to stabilise the market;

23.Is convinced that improving traceability and transparency in the aquatic food sector’s supply chain is crucial for fighting IUU fishing;

24.Reiterates its call for the criteria for recognising POs to be adapted to better accommodate all the different organisations in the Member States that perform tasks that largely fall within the remit of a PO; highlights, in this regard, organisations such as cofradías and prud’homies de pêche;

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25.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.