Press releases/news articles

The deadline for applications is 25 September 2015.

EU Commissioner Karmenu Vella, responsible for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, has travelled to Alaska this week, highlighting the strategic importance of the Arctic region as the Arctic Ocean becomes increasingly "ice-free" and accessible.

The European Commission has adopted on 17 August a key investment package for the Lithuanian fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Covering the period 2014-2020, the operational programme (OP) under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is worth almost €82 million, including €63 million of EU investments. Investments will be targeted at enhancing the competitiveness, sustainability and viability of Lithuanian fisheries and aquaculture businesses.

The European Commission has adopted investment packages for the maritime, fisheries and aquaculture sectors of Denmark (€267.6m, including €208.4 m of EU funds), Estonia (€129.6m, including €101m of EU funds), Germany (€284.6 m, including €219.6 m of EU funds) and Sweden (€172.9m, including €120.2 of EU funds). The investment is available for the period 2014-2020.

Every Directorate-general and Service of the European Commission has a management plan for the year to come. Its purpose is twofold: it translates the priority initiatives and the strategic objectives of the Commission into concrete operations.

The European Commission has adopted a key investment package for the Slovenian maritime, fisheries and aquaculture sectors worth €32.6m, including almost €25m of EU funds, for the period 2014-2020.

The EU has been criticised recently for imposing a minimum size for fishing clams in the Mediterranean. Italian press reports that these rules limit the ability to enjoy the traditional dish of spaghetti with clams.

20th North Atlantic Fisheries Ministers Conference, Valetta, Malta – 16 and 17 July 2015

The Commission has today adopted a proposal for a Council Regulation establishing autonomous tariff quotas (ATQs) for certain fishery products for the period 2016-2018. The proposal, to be adopted by the Council, will ensure that the current Regulation N°1220/2012, due to expire on 31 December 2015, is renewed for three years, thereby avoiding any disruption in the supply of the processing industry.

What is the right framework for the governance of our oceans in the 21st century? What are the challenges ahead and how are North Atlantic fisheries partners responding to those challenges? These are some of the questions that Commissioner Karmenu Vella will raise at the 20th North Atlantic Fisheries Ministers Conference in Malta (16 & 17 July, 2015).

Two days after an agreement paving the way for a new support programme for Greece, the European Commission revealed plans today to help Greece maximise its use of EU funds. As mandated by the Euro Summit on 12/13 July, this will help mobilise more than €35 billion up to 2020 to support the Greek economy, provided that the conditions agreed upon by the Euro Summit will be met.

As part of the implementation of the Atlantic Action Plan, the European Commission invites stakeholders to share their practical knowledge and ideas at the Atlantic Stakeholder Platform conference.

The recovery of fish stocks in many EU waters has seen 'significant progress' over the past year, with a majority of stocks in the Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic on track for long-term sustainability, Commissioner Karmenu Vella, responsible for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said in Brussels today.

"It is our deep conviction that Europe must make better use of the extraordinary potential of our seas and coasts for economic development, for the improvement of our environment and for the well-being of our European citizens. Yet we also believe that this is not enough. Yes, we in Europe should take the lead in making our maritime economies more sustainable. But it is not just up to us. Ensuring healthy oceans for our future is a shared responsibility. Our oceans are a global resource. And global challenges need global answers."

The European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania have concluded a deal that will allow EU fishermen to fish in Mauritanian waters for four years. EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella said: "Signing the EU's largest fisheries partnership agreement with Mauritania brings twofold benefits: To our fishermen, it means certainty and good fishing opportunities at value for money for the next four years. For the region as a whole, it contributes to stability and the sustainable management of fisheries resources".

The European Commission has adopted a key investment package for the Cypriot maritime, fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The roughly €53m available for the period 2014-2020 include more than €39m of EU funds.

The European Commission is looking for organisations to join the Structured Dialogue with European Structural and Investment Funds' partners group of experts (ESIF SD).

European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, will be visiting Ireland on Thursday and Friday this week.

The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) has, at the initiative of the EU, adopted a breakthrough retention ban on mantas. The ban was agreed at the IATTC annual meeting in Guayaquil, Ecuador, from 29 June to 3 July. IATTC members also agreed to establish a marking scheme for fish aggregating devices (FADs), and to strengthen current measures against illegal fishing.