Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 as regards fishing authorisations for Union fishing vessels in United Kingdom waters and fishing operations of United Kingdom fishing vessels in Union waters

Summary:

Legislative initiative tabled by the European Commission on 10 December 2020, introducing a number of amendments to Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 concerning fishing authorisations for vessels of the European Union in the United Kingdom (UK) and fishing operations by fishing vessels of the UK in EU waters.

Further information:

Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 (CFP Basic Regulation) allows for equal access by EU vessels to EU waters and resources subject to the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy. Following the United Kingdom's withdrawal of the European Union, the CFP will no longer apply to the UK at the end of the agreed transition period. The UK waters are no longer part of the EU waters. Reciprocal access to each other's waters is not guaranteed after 31 December 2020 until a fisheries agreement has been concluded.  Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 (SMEFF Regulation) sets out the rules for fishing operations carried out by EU fishing vessels in waters of a third country and for third country vessels in EU waters.

The purpose of the proposed Regulation is to create the appropriate legal framework for such access until 31 December 2021, or until a fisheries agreement with the UK has been concluded, for continued reciprocal access by EU and UK vessels to each other's waters after 31 December 2020. In order to guarantee the sustainability of fisheries and in light of the importance of fisheries for the economic livelihood of many communities, it is necessary to facilitate the procedures of authorisation of fishing vessels.

The draft law was put forward on 10 December 2020 as part of a set of contingency measures tabled by the European Commission.