CALENDAR
Calendrier du 10 juin au 16 juin 2024 (europa.eu)
Tuesday 11 June,
Ms Stella Kyriakides holds a videoconference call with representatives of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
Wednesday 12 June,
Ms Stella Kyriakides holds a videoconference call with Ms Vanessa Kerry, Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health for the World Health Organization (WHO); delivers remarks, via videoconference, at the Medicines for Europe 30th Annual Conference 2024; delivers, via videoconference, remarks at the Annual Congress of the European Society for Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care.
Commission seeks feedback on draft targeted amendments to rules on small amounts of State aid to the agricultural sector
The European Commission has launched today a public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on draft targeted amendments to the rules on small amounts of aid to the agricultural sector (‘Agricultural de minimis Regulation’). All interested parties can re
spond to the public consultation until 21 July 2024.
The proposed amendment
The Agricultural de minimis Regulation exempts small amounts from State aid control since they are deemed to have no impact on competition and trade in the Single Market.
Following its last revision in 2019, Member States can currently grant support to the agricultural sector of up to pound 20,000 per beneficiary over a period of three fiscal years without prior notification for Commission approval. If a Member State has a central register at national level to register de minimis aid, a higher ceiling applies, of pound 25,000 over a period of three fiscal years. Besides these ceilings per beneficiary, each EU Member State has a maximum national amount for such support (a so-called ‘national cap’), in order to avoid any potential distortion of competition.
The Agricultural de minimis Regulation is set to expire on 31 December 2027. A review of the Regulation was planned ahead of this expiry.
The Commission has taken note of the Eu
ropean Council’s conclusions of 17 and 18 April 2024 on the importance of a competitive, sustainable, and resilient agricultural sector. Against this background and in view of the increasing inflationary pressure on the farming sector and high commodity prices, the Commission has launched a targeted revision of the Agricultural de minimis Regulation on 2 May 2024, earlier than the planned review.
The Commission is now seeking feedback on this early revision of the Agricultural de minimis Regulation.
The draft amendments include the following changes:
The increase of the maximum de minimis ceiling per company over three years, from pound 25,000 to pound 37,000, to account for inflation.
The adjustment the ‘national caps’, which are calculated based on the value of agricultural output. The current rules take into account the reference period 2012-2017 for this calculation. This reference period would be expanded to 2012-2023, which allows to take account of the increased value of agricultural production par
ticularly during the last years, thereby increasing the national cap for all Member States.
The maximum aid amount will be calculated over a period of three years instead of three fiscal years, in line with the non-sector specific general de minimis rules.
The introduction of a mandatory central register of de minimis aid at national or European level, to increase transparency and reduce administrative burden on farmers who currently use a self-declaration system and as they will no longer need to self-monitor compliance (currently, such central registers are voluntary for Member States).
By increasing the maximum de minimis ceiling per company to account for inflation, the proposed amendments will widen the possibilities for Member States to provide support to farmers in a simpler, faster, more direct and efficient manner, as such support does not need to be notified to nor approved by the Commission. In addition, the proposed amendments will reduce the administrative burden for farmers through the introd
uction of mandatory central de minimis registers, which will alleviate reporting obligations for the farmers – mostly micro, small and medium-sized companies.
Finally, the revision will prolong the Regulation until 2032.
Next steps
All interested parties can submit their comments on the draft amendment by 21 July 2024. More information, including on how to submit a contribution, is available here.
In addition to the public consultation launched today, the draft proposal will also be discussed in meetings between the Commission and Member States.
This process will ensure that both Member States and other interested parties will have sufficient opportunities to comment on the draft Commission proposal.
The Commission intends to adopt the amendments to the Agricultural de minimis Regulation as soon as possible, taking into account the feedback received from the Member States and interested parties.
Background
Article 108(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union requires Member States to
notify all State aid to the European Commission and to implement it only after the Commission’s approval. The EU State aid Enabling Regulation allows the Commission to declare that certain categories of State aid are compatible with the Single Market and exempted from the notification obligation provided for in the Treaty.
More information on State aid in the agricultural sector can be found on DG Competition’s dedicated website.
Quote(s)
We are reviewing our rules on small amounts of aid to the agricultural sector to help farmers tackle inflationary pressure and high commodity prices. The proposed targeted amendments will make it easier and faster for Member States to provide small amounts of aid by raising the exemption ceilings. We also propose a central register to facilitate the control of the de minimis aid and to reduce reporting obligations for farmers. We encourage all interested parties to share their views.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy
Commission
publishes transition pathway for a resilient, sustainable and digital aerospace industrial ecosystem
Today, the European Commission published the transition pathway for the aerospace ecosystem at the occasion of the ILA Air Show in Berlin. The transition pathway is a dynamic roadmap to support the green and digital transition of the aerospace ecosystem, as well as to improve its resilience and competitiveness.
This is the result of an intensive co-creation process that involved a wide range of stakeholders from industry, EU Member States, research institutes, academia, and citizens. The pathway contains 53 identified priority actions, addressing issues like sustainable competitiveness, robust regulation, modern infrastructure, skills development, and investment funding, while also focusing on the social dimension and innovation. The actions can be either short-term and launched immediately, medium-term (to be launched by 2030) or long-term (to be launched by 2040).
The aerospace ecosystem’s stakeholders wi
ll be invited in the next weeks to propose commitments to turn the pathway into reality, with the Commission’s support and cooperation. In preparation for the pathway, the Commission published in July 2023 a staff working document titled ‘For a resilient, sustainable and digital aerospace and defence industrial ecosystem: Scenarios for a transition pathway’. By advancing in its green and digital transformation and becoming more sustainable, the aerospace industry will maximise its impact to ensure economic stability and contribute to a competitive and resilient EU single market.
A factsheet and more information on the Transition pathway are available online.
(For more information: Johanna Bernsel – Tel.: +32 2 298 66 99; Flore Boutier – Tel.: +32 2 296 60 43)
Joint Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius on the World Oceans Day
On 8 June, we celebrate the World Oceans Day. Oceans are vital for life on Earth, playing a crucial role in climate re
gulation, providing more oxygen than all forests combined and being paramount in addressing pressing global challenges, such as food security, energy and fast-tracking green transition.
Ocean temperatures, however, have never been higher and marine life is disappearing at an unprecedented pace, putting the world at risk. Our oceans, functioning as our planet’s greatest carbon sink, cannot wait for the reversal of dramatic developments, and neither can we.
Since last year’s World Oceans Day, we have witnessed promising progress on ocean protection. On 19 June 2023, a historic Agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in the high seas, known as the BBNJ Agreement, was adopted. With the European Parliament’s vote on 24 April, the EU is one step closer to the Agreement’s ratification.
The task ahead is now to reach the number of sixty ratifications of the Agreement for it to enter into force and we can proceed to its effective implementation. Our objective is to make this
happen by the June 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in France.
The EU is taking action. Ocean sustainability is a priority of the EU’s green diplomacy. At the 9th Our Ocean Conference held in Greece, earlier this year, the EU made 40 new commitments for a safe, secure, clean, healthy and sustainably managed ocean adding up to some pound 3.5 billion from various EU funds, the highest EU contribution since the start of the Our Ocean Conferences a decade ago. Our engagement remains rooted on the principles of dialogue, partnership and solidarity with our partners around the globe.
Looking ahead, strengthening the nexus between oceans and climate change remains a priority for the EU. The EU also seeks to expand the scope of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean and advocates for an ambitious outcome of the negotiations on an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
Protecting our oceans is a shared responsibility and only the implementation
of global solutions, such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the BBNJ Agreement, can contribute to this.
Progress on recovery of fish populations, but more efforts needed to build resilient and sustainable fisheries sector
The overall sustainability of the EU fisheries continues to gradually improve and fewer stocks are overfished, according to the Commission Communication ‘Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2025′ adopted today. At the same time, more efforts are necessary to ensure the resilience of the fisheries sector and the long-term sustainability of key species across all sea basins.
Today’s communication outlines the orientations for the Commission proposals for fishing opportunities for 2025 and starts a consultation process with interested actors. The proposals to be adopted after summer will aim to keep fish stocks that have already reached sustainable levels at those levels, while helping other stocks recover. The Commission’s Communication
is based on independent scientific assessments.
Improvements in North-East Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Seas
The Communication highlighted that fish stocks in the North-East Atlantic on average are within healthy ranges, with the latest assessment pointing to the best sustainability results so far, proving that the EU sustainable fisheries management decisions and fishers’ efforts are paying off. This is particularly the case in the EU waters in the Atlantic. However, several species essential for ecosystem balance and commercial purposes continue to underperform.
In the Mediterranean and the Black Seas, while stocks are slowly becoming healthier, fishing mortality is still too high. Although fishing mortality rate is at its lowest level so far, it is still 20% above the recommended sustainability rate. Greater commitment and continuous efforts are necessary to allow key species and ecosystems to fully recover.
The situation in the Baltic Sea remains extremely worrying, as fish stocks continue to dec
line due to various pressures. Four out of ten stocks in the Baltic Sea are no longer targeted and may only be landed as by-catch. The Commission will continue to take measures to address all the various pressures on fish stocks and help improving the state of the ecosystems in the Baltic Sea. Nevertheless, Member States should also continue their efforts to reverse this situation by fully implementing the EU legislation.
Climate pressures and IUU fishing impact coastal communities
In addition, the Communication shows that fishing communities continue to be affected by climate change, leading to uncertainties due to the declining availability of fish stocks they depend on for their livelihood. This is also the case for communities relying on overfished stocks.
Furthermore, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing impacts the access of fishers to sufficient resources. More efforts are needed to combat it, ensuring compliance with conservation and control measures, including those involving non-EU
countries.
Next steps
Member States, Advisory Councils, the fishing industry, non-governmental organisations and interested citizens are encouraged to share their perspectives on the state of play and direction of the fishing opportunities for 2025. They are invited to express their views until 31 August as part of the online public consultation.
After the public consultation, the Commission will table its three proposals for the 2025 fishing opportunities: in the Atlantic and North Sea, the Baltic Sea, as well as the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The proposals will be based on the EU multi-annual fisheries management plans and on scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), as well as the economic analysis provided by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF). The proposals will also incorporate adjustments resulting from the implementation of the landing obligation.
Finally, the Council will discuss the Commission’s proposals
and decide on the fishing quotas for 2025 at its meetings in October and December this year.
In parallel, the Commission is preparing an evaluation of the common fisheries policy to analyse how its instruments and measures have been performing over the last decade. The evaluation will also look at the reshaped dynamic of fishing relations with non-EU countries. During the preparation of the evaluation, you can contribute on the have your say portal.
Background
Every year, the Commission releases a Communication that provides updates on the state of the EU fisheries and initiates a public consultation on the current situation and the direction of fishing opportunities for the upcoming year.
This Communication reports on the advancements made in achieving sustainable practices within the EU, assesses the balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities, examines the socio-economic performance of the sector and monitors the implementation of the landing obligation.
The Communication reports on var
ious elements using different sources with the latest supporting data available. The latest data on fish stocks included in the report for analysing the status of stocks is from 2022 for the North-East Atlantic Waters and from 2021 for the Mediterranean and the Black Seas.
Source: Cyprus News Agency