Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002353/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Sandro Gozi (Renew)
In April 2025, during his visit to La Réunion, Commissioner Kadis took stock of the major challenges facing the fisheries sector in the outermost region (OR).
While solutions have been put in place to renew fleets in other ORs, such as French Guiana, there is still a hold up in the State aid system preventing this from happening for the sector in La Réunion, despite the endless efforts made over the last few years.
The main issue holding things up is the Commission’s restrictive interpretation of the guidelines governing the balance between fishing capacity and the possibilities offered. However, during his mission to La Réunion in November 2023, Commissioner Kadis’s predecessor, Mr Sinkevičius, said that he felt these guidelines should be relaxed.
Furthermore, La Réunion’s fishing fleet, whose impact on local fish resources remains limited, is faced with unfair competition from industrial fleets from non-EU, Indo-Pacific countries, especially from China, which are not subject to the same sustainability requirements.
When does the Commission plan to unblock this file so that the fishing fleets in La Réunion can finally be renewed, while respecting the specific circumstances of the ORs and ensuring their equal treatment?
Submitted: 11.6.2025