The FINANCIAL — To boost the development of EU aquaculture, the European Commission has issued strategic guidelines, thereby cooperating with Member States and stakeholders in overcoming the challenges facing the sector.
The EU aquaculture sector has a significant growth potential and can help to spare overexploited sea resources. The Guidelines presented today will help coordinate efforts across all Member States. They do not create new legal obligations, but present a series of voluntary steps that Member States, the Commission, and stakeholders can take to promote an industry that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable and provides consumers with healthy, high-quality seafood.
As outlined in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy – currently under negotiation – the aquaculture industry can help fill the gap between an ever growing consumption of seafood and dwindling fish stocks. In fact, it can provide a viable alternative to overfishing and generate growth and jobs in both coastal and inland areas. In other parts of the world the industry is booming. Globally, as European Commission said, in the EU it is stagnating, partly because of slow licensing procedures and administrative inefficiencies at different levels.
“Today, obtaining a licence for a new farm can take up to three years, which obviously deters investors” said European Commissioner for Maritime Affaires and Fisheries Maria Damanaki. "I want to work with Member States to cut red tape and help the competitiveness of this sector building upon the high level of consumer and environmental protection we currently have".
The Commission, in close consultation with all stakeholders, has identified four main challenges facing the aquaculture sector: a necessity to reduce red tape and uncertainties for operators; a need to facilitate access to space and water; a requirement to increase the sector's competitiveness; and a need to improve the level playing field by exploiting the competitive edge of "made-in-the-EU" fish products.
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