Joint NGO reaction to the Joint Declaration of the Spanish, French and Italian governments on the post 2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

The document argues that public spending in the post-2020 EMFF must align with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically opposing subsidies for fleet renewal and modernisation which the authors claim increase fishing capacity and undermine marine biodiversity.

• The NGOs oppose the Joint Declaration's call for the modernisation of fishing vessels and the renewal of the small-scale fishing fleet, arguing these are 'harmful subsidies' that contradict EU bans and international commitments, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and World Trade Organization negotiations.
• The authors argue that fleet renewal subsidies would increase fishing pressure because capacity ceilings based on tonnage (GT) and power (kW) fail to account for technological progress that increases the 'real ability to catch fish'.
• The statement warns that aid for vessel modernisation and engine replacement increases fishing capacity and efficiency, and notes that 'under-declaration of engine power' makes it difficult to control the actual power installed on board.
• The NGOs advocate for maintaining and ensuring transparency in reporting for the EMFF, opposing the Joint Declaration's proposal to soften reporting obligations and delete the mandatory transmission of cumulative data and annual performance reports.
• The authors argue that the EMFF is not the appropriate legal framework to redefine 'small-scale coastal fishing', as introducing subjective criteria for funding purposes could create an uneven playing field across the EU.

APA

ClientEarth (2019). Joint NGO reaction to the Joint Declaration of the Spanish, French and Italian governments on the post 2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. https://www.clientearth.org/media/u3fnxipo/joint-ngo-reaction-to-the-joint-declaration-of-the-spanish-french-and-italian-governments-on-the-post-2020-european-maritime-and-fisheries-fun-coll-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Joint NGO reaction to the Joint Declaration of the Spanish, French and Italian governments on the post 2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. 2019. https://www.clientearth.org/media/u3fnxipo/joint-ngo-reaction-to-the-joint-declaration-of-the-spanish-french-and-italian-governments-on-the-post-2020-european-maritime-and-fisheries-fun-coll-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Joint NGO reaction to the Joint Declaration of the Spanish, French and Italian governments on the post 2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund |date=June 2019 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/u3fnxipo/joint-ngo-reaction-to-the-joint-declaration-of-the-spanish-french-and-italian-governments-on-the-post-2020-european-maritime-and-fisheries-fun-coll-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2019joint, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Joint NGO reaction to the Joint Declaration of the Spanish, French and Italian governments on the post 2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/u3fnxipo/joint-ngo-reaction-to-the-joint-declaration-of-the-spanish-french-and-italian-governments-on-the-post-2020-european-maritime-and-fisheries-fun-coll-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }