Strategy for further development of European Aquaculture

Although aquaculture activities are included within the Common Fisheries Policy, as the sector grew in importance in the latter part of the 20^th century, the professional sector became increasingly aware that it was operating in a policy vacuum. During the reform of the CFP, resulting from the consultation on the Green Paper, it was agreed that a strategy for European aquaculture was needed.

In 2002, the European Commission prepared and published a strategy for the development of the aquaculture sector which was based on three objectives:

• Creating secure employment particularly in fisheries dependent areas: the target is the creation of 8,000 to 10,000 full-time job equivalents over the period 2003-2008.
• Providing safe and good quality fisheries products and promoting animal health and welfare standards.
• Ensuring an environmentally sound industry.

• Secure employment: increasing production, applying integrated coastal zone management, stimulating the market and improving governance
• Improve the safety of aquaculture products and animal welfare: ensuring a high level of public and animal health as well as animal welfare
• Ensure an environmentally sound aquaculture: reducing the impact of waste, tackling the problem of alien species and genetically modified organisms, preventing pollution and conducting environmental impact assessments

Cross-Linking Policies and Legislation that affect European Aquaculture

While the Common Fisheries Policy provides the initial guiding principles for European Aquaculture, there are many additional cross-linking policies and legislation that concern the sector.

The Aquaculture unit of the Directorate-General for Fisheries compiled a directory of the EU legislation concerning aquaculture, processing and marketing in order to improve the supply of information, and thus meet the demand of national and international authorities, members of the trade, research bodies, and other interested parties (This is currently being updated and should be published in the first quarter of 2007)

As this legislation concerns three major areas of the Common Fisheries Policy the directory is composed of ten different chapters:

• food additives,
• animal diseases,
• environment,
• labelling and packaging,
• market,
• research,
• sanitary and hygiene measures,
• structures,
• third countries-sanitary, and
• others.

The complete text is also available and all information is in the 11 official EU languages.

Research Objectives responding to European Policy

European Research is organised within Framework programmes that are designed to integrate both short, medium and long term needs of the European Union. The Framework Programmes have evolved with time, adapting to change and responding to policy needs and objectives.

PROFET POLICY has, as one of its key objectives, the purpose of demonstrating how these Framework Programmes have assisted the development of fisheries and aquaculture and to communicate the results of selected projects to the stakeholders of these sectors.

How the Research Framework Programmes are decided

Before implementation by the Commission, the content and structure of Research Framework Programmes are discussed within different forums and at different levels.  Their motivations, objectives, budget and means of implementation are introduced into Community legislation as:

• Decisions of the European Parliament and of the Council for the Framework Programme as a whole, and by
• Decisions of the Council for definitions of the specific actions included within the Framework Programmes.

For the recent Framework Programmes, the Decisions relative their realisation are the following:

4th Framework Programme

• Decision 1110/94/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26/4/1994 concerning the 4th Framework Programme of the European Community activities in the field of research and technological development and demonstration (1994-1998);
• Council Decision of 23 November 1994 adopting specific programme of research, technological development and demonstration in the field of agriculture and fisheries;
• Council Decision of 23 November 1994 adopting specific programme of research, technological development, including demonstration, in the field of marine science and technology.

5th Framework Programme

• Decision 182/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26/12/1998 concerning the 5th Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (1998-2002);
• Council Decision of 25 January adopting a specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration on quality of life and management of living resources (1998-2002).

6^th Framework Programme

• Decision No 1513/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 concerning the sixth framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities, contributing to the creation of the European Research Area and to innovation (2002 to 2006)

7^th Framework Programme

• Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013)

The increasing complexity of identifying RTD objectives, needs and the means of accomplishing successful RTD has become more evident and the processes of achieving these are clearly identified.

General Objectives of the 4^th Framework Programme (1994-1998)

According to the official communication from the Council, the general objectives of this programme are to increase competitiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the agricultural, fishery and related industry sectors, and to promote rural development. Research should help to remove bottlenecks which are hindering the wider use of agricultural, forestry, and fishery raw materials for new and improved food and non-food products, and to stimulate the emergence of new products, outlets and processes. Therefore, the research must respond to socio-economic issues of rural and coastal communities to safety, quality and health and environmental applications of new food and non-food products for which it is clear that there is a demand from the public.

RTD priorities:

For aquaculture and fisheries, five areas were targeted incorporating the specific objectives of FP4:

• Impact of environmental factors: objective to generate a better understanding of the influence of environmental factor and parameters.
• Ecological impact of fisheries and aquaculture: research should provide a better understanding of the effects that fisheries and aquaculture have on the ecosystem, with an aim of limiting their impacts.
• Biology of species for optimisation of aquaculture: objective to contribute to a better understanding of the biology of aquatic species with a view of developing a economically profitable industry.
• Socio-economic aspects of the fishing industry: objective to generate a better knowledge and understanding of the operations and management of the sector
• Improved methodology: objective to improve existing methodologies for fish stock assessment (e.g. novel methods of data collection and analysis), and development of new instruments and techniques for fisheries and aquaculture research.

The total budget for FAIR was 607 M ECU, while the specific allocation to fisheries and aquaculture was 103 M ECU.

General Objectives of the 5^th Framework Programme (1998-2002)

The strategic objective of this programme was to link the ability to discover to the ability to produce – so as to assess the needs of society and to meet the requirements of the consumers, leading to future wealth and job creation and improvement of the state of the environment. The programme was aimed at answering some of the pressing questions asked by the citizen, which required to be tackled at the European scale.

The proposed technical and technological solutions should be seen as part of an integrated system approach in which human beings are at the core of the issue of quality of life and of the management of living resources. The six key actions were targeted at socio-economic needs and at the Community’s policy objectives, including agriculture and fisheries. The gender dimension was to be considered where appropriate.

Sustainable agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and integrated development in rural areas including mountain areas were included in the Quality of Life (QoL) key action 5

The aim of this action is to develop knowledge and technologies for the production and exploitation of living resources, covering the whole production chain, taking into account the highly competitive international context and in the light of the need for adaptation to the evolution of the common agricultural and fisheries policies, while also providing the scientific basis for Community regulations and standards.

RTD priorities:

Fisheries and aquaculture related research priorities were new and sustainable systems of production, including breeding methods, and exploitation in agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, taking into account profitability, the sustainable management of resources, product quality and employment, as well as animal health and welfare. The RTD priorities were:

• For fisheries: support to integrated fishery management linking resource conservation, means of capture, interactions with ecosystems, market requirements and socio-economic considerations; identification and characterisation of the quality of marine products and technologies; development of new concepts for the sustainable use of marine and aquatic living resources.
• For aquaculture: sustainable production systems with the reduction of the impact on ecosystems and diversification of cultivated species (both plant and animals); improvement of production techniques, genetic improvement; disease resistance and control.

Other QoL priority areas that concerned both sectors were:

• Development of methods of control, surveillance, and protection: the aim of this action was to support sound implementation of the CFP. The RTD priorities related to reliable, transparent, and cost-effective methods of monitoring, assessment, and control.
• Pre-legislative research designed to provide a scientific basis for Community legislation: the aim was to provide support for Community regulations by pre-normative research activities in the context of the CFP.

The total indicative budget for QoL was 2.413 M EUR, including 520 M EUR for the key action 5 (sustainable agriculture and fisheries and forestry…).

The two other key actions of the QoL programme that could potentially focus on issues related to fisheries and aquaculture were QoL1 (food, nutrition and health) and QoL2 (control of infectious diseases), although to a lesser extent.

The primary objective of QoL1 was to improve knowledge and technologies to produce safe, healthy and balanced food supply to consumers. The specific objectives included the development of safe and flexible manufacturing processes and technologies, the development of tests to eliminate infectious agents throughout the food chain, and research into the role of food in promoting and sustaining health.

This key action was fairly generic as it covered all kind of food items. It was of primary interest for DG SANCO (DG Health and Consumer Protection) whose mission is to ensure a high level of protection of consumers’ health, safety and economic interests as well as of public health at the level of the European Union. Within the general umbrella of the fisheries and aquaculture industries, it had several possible applications mostly for the seafood processing industry.

Horizontal objectives

One of the major horizontal general objectives of the research programmes is to promote European Research. Decision 182/1999/EC mentions that the research programme should contribute to the role of the Community in the world as a focal point of scientific and technological excellence.

From an organisational perspective, the horizontal objective of promoting cooperation and coordination between Member States is clearly listed. Such objectives were also explicitly or implicitly part of the 4th Framework Programmes. The specific objectives are to promote cooperation and exchange of information between research bodies of the Member States, including training and mobility of scientific staff.

A greater participation of SMEs was also included as an objective to the 5th Framework Programme as a means to better integrate their needs, and to increase their ability to benefit from the Community programmes. Greater dissemination and transfer of results towards the SMEs was also privileged.

General Objectives of the 6^th Framework Programme (2002-2006)

The 6^th Framework Programme (FP6) marked a different approach to the 4^th and 5^th Programmes; the following section provides a brief summary of this and its relevance to research on fisheries and aquaculture.

‘Research and Technological Development (RTD) is an essential element in the functioning of industrialised countries, such as the EU Member States and the countries having applied for EU membership. The competitiveness of companies and the employment they can provide depend to a great extent on RTD; and RTD is also essential for the support of other policies such as consumer protection or the protection of the environment. In short: the individual and collective wellbeing of citizens depends on the quality and relevance of RTD.’

This statement indicates clearly the need to associate RTD to raising competitiveness within industry while supporting the actions required in order to improve the quality of life of the European citizen, through consumer protection and environmental improvement.

Recognising the need for improved cooperation and coordination in European research, the European Research Area (ERA) was created so as to integrate the elements that were seen as being too fragmented.

FP6 was the main financial and legal instrument of the European Commission to implement the ERA, alongside national efforts and other European co-operative research activities. FP6 supported collaboration in research, promoted mobility and co-ordination and investing in the mobilisation of research in support of other EU policies.

At the same time research will be targeted at strengthening the competitiveness of the European economy, solving major societal questions and supporting the formulation and implementation of other EU policies. Activities under FP6 had to be conducted in compliance with ethical principles, including those reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Furthermore these actions should strive both to increase the role of women in research and to improve information for, and dialogue with, society.

Three activity ‘blocks’ were identified, being:  

• Focusing and integrating European Research, including
• 7 thematic research areas
  • Life sciences, Genomics and Biotechnology for Health
  • Information Society Technologies
  • Nano-technologies and nano-sciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials, new production processes and devices
  • Aeronautics and Space
  • Food Quality and Safety
  • Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems
  • Citizens and Governance in a knowledge-based society
• Specific activities covering a wider field of research, reflecting
  • RTD supporting European policies
  • New and emerging science and technologies (NEST)
  • Specific research activities for SMEs
  • Specific measures in support of international cooperation
• Structuring the European Research Area
• Strengthening the foundations of the European Research Area

Major actions have been achieved for fisheries and aquaculture research within the areas of ‘Food Quality and Safety’, ‘Sustainable Development’ and in ‘RTD supporting European Policies’ and ‘Specific Research Activities for SMEs’.

Perhaps the major change in the approach to research for the aquaculture production sector was the increased attention given to SME measures, primarily through the CRAFT and Collective Research programmes, where specific targeted issues and topics could be addressed.

This aspect was further developed by the introduction of Technology Platforms, whose creation was stimulated by the recognition that "the European area of knowledge should enable undertakings to build new competitive factors, consumers to benefit from new goods and services and workers to acquire new skills. With that in mind, it is important to develop research, education and all forms of innovation insofar as they make it possible to turn knowledge into added value and create more and better jobs".

In drawing attention to the necessity of pursuing an active industrial policy, the Spring European Council 2005 recognised the role of “technology initiatives based on public-private partnerships” and “the organisation of European Technology Platforms aimed at setting long-term research agendas” in “strengthening the competitive advantages of the industrial base while ensuring the complementarity of action at national, trans-national and European level”.

This integration of industry-led actions for the identification of specific RTD needs and the facilitation of public-private partnerships to achieve research and to transfer the results into the industrial sector provided a new direction for many sectors, increasing their involvement in developing agendas and programmes. Although fisheries and aquaculture have yet to develop specific TPs, this approach provides a strategic option for these sectors.

General Objectives of the 7^th Framework Programme (2007-2013)

The 7^th Framework Programme is a broader programme than its predecessors and will last longer, until 2013. It is based on the desire that the European Union will become the "most dynamic competitive knowledge-based economy in the world". The 'knowledge triangle' - research, education and innovation - is a core factor in European efforts to meet the ambitious goals outlined in the Lisbon Strategy.

The Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) bundles all research-related EU initiatives together under a common roof, playing a crucial role in reaching the goals of growth, competitiveness and employment; along with a new Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), Education and Training programmes, and Structural and Cohesion Funds for regional convergence and competitiveness. It is also a key pillar for the European Research Area (ERA).

The broad objectives of FP7 have been grouped into four categories: Cooperation, Ideas, People and Capacities. For each type of objective, there is a specific programme corresponding to the main areas of EU research policy. All specific programmes work together to promote and encourage the creation of European poles of (scientific) excellence.

The following diagram indicates the different categories and divisions of FP7.

As within the 6^th Framework programme, research on fisheries and aquaculture will need to find its place within the different divisions of action, where it would appear initially that ‘Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology’, ‘Environment’ and ‘Research for the benefit of SMEs’ would be the 3 areas of initial interest.

The Common Fisheries Policy and Research Needs

Since fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing are integrated within the Common Fisheries Policy, it is increasingly evident that this Policy has a direct effect on research direction.

The period 1994-2002 coincided with the revision of the Common Fisheries Policy, as defined in Council Regulation No 3760/92 that established a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture. The main objectives of the CFP (art. 2) were to protect and conserve available and accessible living marine aquatic resources, and to provide for rational and responsible exploitation on a sustainable basis, in appropriate economic and social conditions for the sector, taking account of its implications for the marine eco-system, and in particular taking account of the needs of both producers and consumers.

Many natural fish stocks exploited by the European fishing fleets were in a poor condition and the main challenge over this period was to adapt the fishing fleet capacity to the resources available. The main tools in this respect were the Multi Annual Guidance Programmes that set reduction objectives to the fishing fleet, and the availability of structural funds for diversification and adjustment of activities in the coastal areas.

The development of the aquaculture sector was broadly supported, albeit without setting specific objectives, as a means to supply the Community market without increasing fishing pressure on the stocks, and as a likely source of alternative employment in the coastal areas. Fish processing was also supported as a mean of generating added value and employment to the coastal areas dependent on fishing.

The period coincided also with the formulation and approval (1995) of the Code of Conduct of Responsible Fishing under the aegis of the FAO. The Code of Conduct promotes the sustainable use of marine resources in harmony with the environment, and calls upon best scientific advice available as the basis upon which decisions should be taken. Article 9 covers broad issues affecting aquaculture production.

As a result, DG Fisheries published a note prior to the implementation of the 5th Framework Programme detailing its perceived priorities. These were:  

• Making more reliable or efficient the technologies on the basis of which scientists formulate their opinion and advice;
• Making the most out of limited fisheries resources by aiming at greater added value for catches and the development of alternative employment possibilities through an improvement of the quality of seafood products, including from farmed species;
• Supporting the development of European aquaculture as a complementary activity to fisheries, stimulating economic development in marginal areas where there are few opportunities for employment and thus contributing to Community cohesion through improved knowledge on the biology of species of interest for aquaculture, mitigating the disease problems, improving their genetic basis and avoiding negative effects on the environment.

In addition to these priorities, additional actions included:

• The improvement of the efficiency of the implementation of the CFP, in particular by reinforcing the link between the structural adaptation of fishing fleets to the conservation of fisheries resources and the management of the fishing fleets, thus contributing to a balance between fleet capacity and fishing efforts.
• The integration of annual decision making with regard to resource conservation in a multi-annual framework;
• The integration of the objectives of mitigating the impacts of fishing and aquaculture activities on marine ecosystems into those of the CFP.

In the long run, expectations were placed on research that would facilitate the evolution of the CFP, in particular by identifying and comparing alternative management strategies within the European context and according to specific situations. Such research should also clarify, for decision makers, how their future choices and decisions with regard to these management strategies would affect the various objectives assigned by the Treaties to the CFP.

Conclusions

The research needs of fisheries and aquaculture have developed as a function of policy directions and sector-related events while the European Framework Programmes have become broader, encompassing wider strategic desires for the European Union and its citizens.

Keywords that strike any review of these developments are the following:

• Competitiveness – directed towards the European economic players, to be competitive within a free market situation
• Sustainability – including a better understanding of the interactions of fisheries and aquaculture with the environment and its resources and the assessment of likely impacts over a long-term period; at the enterprise level, sustainability includes the ability to operate on a long-term basis, in the absence of public support.
• Scientific Excellence – where the Framework Programmes demand the best of science in the research made. The scientific community is expected to reach scientific excellence for the benefits of all users of the research, including the SMEs, policy makers and Civil Society.
• Co-operation – much greater consideration is being given to the opinions and needs of both the industry and civil society, resulting in projects involving participants drawn from the research community, industry and civil society.
• Knowledge - a knowledge-based economy needs research and also the tools to transfer the results of this research into operations and skills, where the Competitiveness and Innovation framework programme will have an important role.

The Competitiveness and Innovation framework programme (CIP) is an integral and important component of FP7 and responds to the relaunch of the Lisbon Strategy. Also running from 2007 to 2013, it has a budget of approximately EUR 3.6 billion. It represents a 60 % increase in annual spending on actions related to competitiveness and innovation by 2013 compared to 2006.

The three specific programmes in the CIP framework are:

• Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme
• ICT Policy Support Programme
• Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme

Eco-innovation will be a transversal theme of the whole programme. The CIP will complement other major programmes of the Commission covering cohesion activities, research, technological development and demonstration activities and lifelong learning.

In the absence of specific work programmes for fisheries and aquaculture, both the sectoral and research players will have to widen their approach to issues affecting their professional work and appreciate fully the expectations of the policies and programmes defined, imposing improved dialogue and commitment from all parties concerned.