Regulation (EU) 2020/560 amending Regulations (EU) No 508/2014 and (EU) No 1379/2013 as regards specific measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID‐19 outbreak in the fishery and aquaculture sector

Summary:

Regulation (EU) 2020/560 - formally adopted by the European Union on 23 April 2020 - which introduces specific measures in the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) aiming to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Further information:

Despite the measures put in place allowing Member States to support the different economic sectors in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, their scope for intervention in the area of fisheries is restricted by the provision of the EMFF, which does not offer support for the most urgently needed actions to overcome the effects of the outbreak. Those limitations restricted Member States' ability to use the Fund to fight the crisis.

Fisheries are subject to the EU's exclusive competence and are regulated at an EU-level through a common policy, thereby largely excluding national regulations, including those in respect of financial support. The conditions for public support are governed by the EMFF. The European Commission therefore adopted a proposal on 2 April 2020 to amend Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 (the EMFF Regulation), as well as Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 (the CMO Regulation) to introduce specific measures in the EMFF to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the fishery and aquaculture sector.

This proposal was adopted by the European Commission on 2 April 2020 as part of a package of measures on mobilising the full extent of the EU Budget. It was endorsed by the European Parliament on 17 April, followed by the Council of the European Union on 22 April. The Act was signed by the co-legislators on the following day and published in the Official Journal on 24 April 2020.

Official

EUR-LEX: COM(2020)142: Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 and Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 as regards specific measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the fishery and aquaculture sector https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2020:142:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on specific measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the fishery and aquaculture sector https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2020/0059(COD)

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 14/04/2020: Tackling COVID-19: Council adopts amended EU budget for 2020 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/04/14/tackling-covid-19-council-adopts-amended-eu-budget-for-2020/

European Commission: Press Release, 17/04/2020: Coronavirus: Commission welcomes Parliament's quick green light for proposed new resources to protect lives and livelihoods https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_685

European Parliament: Press Release, 17/04/2020: COVID-19: Stepping up EU’s response to alleviate the effects of the crisis https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20200415IPR77111/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 22/04/2020: COVID-19: Council adopts rules to help EU fishermen https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/04/22/covid-19-council-adopts-rules-to-help-eu-fishermen/

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News

EurActiv, 03/04/2020: Sinkevicius: Commission’s measures bring relief to troubled EU fisheries https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/sinkevicius-commissions-measures-bring-relief-to-troubled-eu-fisheries/

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Commentary and Analysis

EPRS: At a Glance, April 2020: Support for the fishing and aquaculture sectors in the coronavirus crisis https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)649373

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