Malta-EU accord on 25-mile conservation fishing zone

Malta and the European Union yesterday reached agreement on a Maltese 25-mile fisheries management zone for conservation purposes.

The agreement marked the closing of negotiations between the two sides on the delicate area of fisheries. The total number of areas on which Malta has concluded talks with the EU now stands at 23.

The negotiations on fisheries were closed at an accession conference at the level of deputies held in Brussels. At the meeting, convened as an extra session under the Spanish presidency of the EU, the Maltese delegation was led by Richard Cachia Caruana, chairman of the core negotiating group.

Mr Cachia Caruana welcomed the closure of negotiations on fisheries saying that of fundamental importance was "that the Union has recognised Malta's efforts to conserve fish stocks within its 25-mile management zone for more than 30 years [and] that the Union has accepted the principle that the accession of Malta should not lead to a decline in the protection of living resources within this zone".

The government said that in terms of the agreement, after accession, Malta would continue, on an indefinite basis, to manage a fishing zone of 25 miles around the Maltese islands in an effort to conserve fish stocks. This was accepted by the EU and would be incorporated into EU law. In this conservation zone, only vessels smaller than 12 metres would be allowed to practise fishing as these vessels practised small scale coastal fishing which was recognised as the least harmful to the ecological environment. The first 12 miles from Malta's coast would be reserved exclusively for Maltese fishermen.

By way of exception, some other types of fishing activities would be allowed in 25-mile management zone (beyond the 12 miles) by vessels which are larger than 12 metres but smaller than 24 metres, the government said. Such activities were:

(i) trawling in the limited trawlable areas identified by Malta,
(ii) fishing for lampuki in 130 different sites of which 110 were normally taken up by Maltese fishermen,
(iii) lampara fishing and
(iv) fishing for tuna and other highly migratory fish.

In all cases, total fishing effort exerted by vessels in the 25-mile zone shall not exceed that of recent years. A list will be drawn up identifying all vessels between 12 and 24 metres authorised to fish in the zone.

Maltese fishing vessels that might have restricted access to the 25-mile zone as a result of the agreement would benefit from a financial assistance package that would help them increase efficiency and fish outside the zone, the government explained. Most fish landings in Malta were already caught in international waters.

In addition, after membership EU funding would also be possible, the government added. For this purpose the Maltese authorities said they had prepared a programme to request aid for the modernisation of the Maltese fishing fleet, for the improvement of port facilities and for the improvement of marketing structures and processing facilities.

Eneko Landaburu, director general for enlargement in the European Commission, said that in view of the significant contribution of lampuki to Maltese fishing, the EU had agreed to the inclusion of this species in annex IV of the regulation on the common organisation of the market in fishery and aquaculture products. This meant that when there was excess supply of lampuki on the local market, the EU would provide fishermen with assistance to withdraw a certain amount of fish from the market so that the price remains stable.

Speaking on the progress of negotiations between the two sides, Mr Cachia Caruana said it was crucial that as the process entered into the final, difficult moments there remained a firm grasp of the fundamental issues at stake and of the need for these to be resolved in a spirit of solidarity and mutual understanding.

Malta welcomed the intention of the Danish presidency to organise an early round of meetings at deputies' level during July. The island hoped this would create the opportunity for it to provisionally close at least two more chapters - those dealing with regional policy and the environment.

"Work on two other chapters - customs union and taxation - is at an advanced stage. The issues holding up immediate closure on both these chapters are very well defined.

"With regard to customs union, these issues are very closely related to matters being negotiating under the agriculture chapter. The delay in the provisional closure of this chapter is, in reality, more procedural than substantive.

"With regard to the taxation chapter, the main remaining item concerns the timeframe for the exemptions we are requesting on VAT. We feel that in this matter there are aspects that now need to be looked at from a political angle.

"In the competition chapter, we are currently engaged in an advanced phase of very intensive discussions with the Commission on the main issues arising under this chapter. The basis for progress has now been identified on most of these and positive results should be able to emerge in a relatively short time," Mr Cachia Caruana said.

He pointed out that the provisional closure of the fisheries chapter had not been an easy task. "As the remaining chapters to be negotiated become more sensitive and complex, we should try to use this experience with the fisheries chapter to ensure a more closely knit negotiating process all around," Mr Cachia Caruana augured.

Ambassador Javier Conde de Saro, who took part in yesterday's conference on behalf of the Spanish Presidency, confirmed that, if Malta maintained its present rate of progress, the EU was confident that negotiations would be concluded with the island by the end of this year.

He said the overall financial package would be communicated to the candidate countries in early November.