According to a letter, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki reassured the Council and the European Parliament that the European Commission stands ready to support the European fisheries sector.
Damanaki called upon the EU governments concerned by the ban to make use "as quickly as possible" of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), which can provide financial help to producer organisations who are unable to sell their products to Russia.
This aid enables them to store the unsold products until new markets have been found. She underlined that no approval by the European Commission is necessary to unlock these storage funds.
Damanaki also pointed to flexibility rules which allow Member States to carry over up to 10 percent of their fishing quotas to the following year. According to the letter, she has instructed her services to examine the possibility of going beyond the 10 percent quota flexibility.
Russia imposed imports ban of certain fisheries products from the EU on August 7, composing one part of the EU and Ukraine trade war due to Ukraine crisis.
Russia is the EU's 6th export market for fisheries products. In 2013, EU exports of fisheries products to Russia represented 5 percent, or 199 million euros, of total EU fisheries exports. In 2013, fisheries products represented 0.2 percent of the EU's overall exports to Russia.
The EU is due to announce its new sanctions on Russia later Monday, the European Commission said on Monday, although a ceasefire is generally taking hold in eastern Ukraine.
Responding to EU's upcoming tighter sanctions, Russian Foreign Ministry said last week that reactions will certainly be made by Russia if they are implemented.
Sources: Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
8/9/14
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***Russian trade ban: Commissioner Damanaki ready to support EU fisheries sector with financial help, quota flexibility
European Commission
Press release
Brussels, 8 September 2014
In the light of Russia’s trade
ban on certain fisheries products which hit the European fisheries
sector this summer, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and
Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, has today reassured the Council and the
European Parliament that the European Commission stands ready to support
the European fisheries sector. In a letter addressed to Italian
Minister Maurizio Martina and the Chair of the European Parliament’s
Fisheries Committee, Alain Cadec, Commissioner Damanaki outlined that
the EU can provide financial support to the sector as well as the
possibility of shifting unused fishing quotas to 2015.
In her letter, Commissioner
Damanaki called upon the EU governments concerned by the ban to make use
“as quickly as possible” of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
(EMFF), which can provide financial help to producer organisations who
are unable to sell their products to Russia. This aid enables them to
store the unsold products until new markets have been found. She
underlined that no approval by the European Commission is necessary to
unlock these storage funds.
Commissioner Damanaki also
pointed to flexibility rules which allow Member States to carry over up
to 10% of their fishing quotas to the following year. She underlined
that, given the current circumstances, she has instructed her services
to examine the possibility go beyond the 10% quota flexibility. The
Commissioner said that she could take a positive stance on this option,
under the condition that scientific examination confirms that such a
proposal would not undermine long term sustainability.
Background
Following Russia’s announcement
on 7 August to ban imports of certain fisheries products from the
European Union, the European Commission is working closely with Member
States authorities to gather evidence on the impact of the Russian trade
measures in the fisheries sector and to outline the available support
to the sectors affected by the ban. The fisheries products affected by
the ban are live, fresh, chilled, frozen, salted, in brine and smoked
fish, molluscs and crustaceans. The main Member States exporting these
products to Russia in 2013 were Denmark, Latvia, UK, Ireland, Estonia,
Spain and France.
In 2013, the total export value
of the banned EU fisheries products was close to EUR 144 million, which
represents 2% of total value of the EU's fish and aquaculture annual
product.
Russia is the EU's 6th
export market for fisheries products. In 2013, EU exports of fisheries
products to Russia represented 5%, or EUR 199 million, of total EU
fisheries exports. In 2013, fisheries products represented 0.2% of the
EU’s overall exports to Russia.....................http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-980_en.htm?locale=en
8/9/14
Faroe Islands may boost fish exports to Russia amid war of sanctions...
ReplyDeleteMOSCOW, September 08. /ITAR-TASS/. The Faroe Islands can double exports of fish and fish products to Russia amid a ban on food imports Russia imposed on some western countries in response to their sanctions over Ukraine.
Exports could be increased to 104,400-139,200 tons, said a report by the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency after agency head Ilya Shestakov met with Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen, the Prime Minister of the Government of the Faroe Islands.
The sides discussed broader cooperation on aquaculture, including possible supplies of smolt for Russian aquaculture farms, as well as the use of fishery equipment produced on the Faroe Islands, said an agency report on Monday.
In response to Western sanctions over Ukraine, Russia imposed on August 7 a one-year ban on imports of beef, pork, poultry, fish, cheeses, fruit, vegetables and dairy products from Australia, Canada, the European Union, the United States and Norway............http://en.itar-tass.com/economy/748656
8/9/14