Brussels, 4 January 2024
See question(s) : E-003171/2023
EN
E-003171/2023
Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius
on behalf of the European Commission
(4.1.2024)
In 2023, the Adriatic Sea surface temperature has been higher than the long term average, and high river discharges (due to heavy rainfall) have lowered nearshore salinity in the early summer. These variations in oceanographic parameters could represent additional environmental stressors for mussels. The Commission has not been notified of exceptional mussel mortalities in other areas in the past months.
Under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive1, Member States are required to put in place marine strategies to achieve good environmental status (GES) thereby ensuring that the EU waters and the species they host are in a healthy state. They should do so on the basis of 11 ‘descriptors’, which include commercial fish and shellfish that covers mussels exploited for commercial purposes. The most recent report available for the Italian waters of the Adriatic Sea (Programme of measures)2 is based on information gathered prior to 2023 and does not address the issue of recent mussel mortality. The previous report available indicates that GES was not reached for this descriptor in the Italian waters of the Adriatic Sea. The next report on the state of the marine environment should be transmitted to the Commission by 15 October 2024.
The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation allows Member States to activate in their EMFAF programmes interventions protecting and stabilizing aquaculture companies’ income through compensations and insurance schemes3. In addition, Member States can also support under their EMFAF programmes aquaculture providing environmental services4 and interventions ensuring animal health and welfare in aquaculture5.
1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32008L0056
2 https://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/it/eu/msfd_art17/2018reporting/
3 Article 26(1)(a)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1004.
4 Article 26(3) of the EMFAF Regulation and within the scope of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy.
5 With the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (Text with EEA relevance).