Fisheries fail to agree on funding

EU fisheries have been unable to agree on a new funding scheme which would’ve provided Irish fishermen with tens of millions of euro over the next seven years after talks broke up on Tuesday, May 23rd.

Member states disagreed on important elements of the E3.8 billion fund. It is now likely that there will be a delay in the flow of EU funds to fishermen during the next EU budget period between 2007 and 2013.
Countries such as Britain, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands blocked the aid package which would allow fishermen to fund the modernisation of fishing boats and replacement engines with EU subsidies.

Ireland, Spain, France, Portugal and Italy were among the member states which supported the agreement. Under the EU rules of qualified majority voting, though, no compromise could be found to satisfy the two sides. In the final vote, Belgium, Britain and Germany voted against the package. Poland abstained.

The World Wildlife Fund said the failure to agree EU subsidies was a good day for fishing. They believe that it will prevent an increase in the capacity of the EU fishing fleet at a time when stocks are falling.