Regulation (EU) 2019/497 amending Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 as regards certain rules relating to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union

Summary:

Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 March 2019 aiming to help mitigate the significant impact that a “no-deal” Brexit would have on EU fisheries.

Further information:

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, Union fishing vessels have equal access to Union waters and resources subject to the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). As from the withdrawal date, the CFP will no longer apply to the United Kingdom, and the UK's waters (12 nautical miles territorial sea and adjacent exclusive economic zone) will no longer be part of the Union waters.

Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 lays down the rules and arrangements for granting financial compensation to fishermen and owners of fishing vessels in cases of temporary cessation of fishing activities. The criteria do not allow for compensation due to the withdrawal of a Member State from the Union and the subsequent loss of access to and fishing opportunities within the waters of that state.

Therefore in order to mitigate the adverse economic effects caused by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union, support for the temporary cessation of fishing activities should be available for fishermen and operators that have significant dependence on access to UK waters.

Background:

In 2017 the United Kingdom submitted notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union. This means that, if the Withdrawal Agreement is not ratified, the EU's primary and secondary law will cease to apply to the UK from 30 March 2019 [since extended to 12 April]. The UK will then become a third country.

The European Commission presented a Contingency Action Plan in November 2018 setting out the measures it plans to take if no withdrawal agreement enters into force on the withdrawal date.

Official

EUR-Lex: COM(2019)48: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 as regards certain rules relating to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund by reason of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2019:048:FIN

European Commission: Press Release, 23/01/2019: Brexit preparedness: European Commission adopts two contingency proposals to help mitigate impact of “no-deal” Brexit on EU fisheries http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-19-584_en.htm

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