On April 11, 2019, at the Olympic Center in Warsaw, the European Business Club Poland inaugurated the Association’s celebration of the 15th anniversary of Poland’s accession to the European Union. The event consisted of two parts:
1.Meeting of entrepreneurs with the Vice-President of the European Parliament prof. Zdzisław Krasnodębski on the subject of “Poland’s position in the European Union: current state and perspectives” and with Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation Grzegorz Witkowski on the subject of “Implementation of GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020 co-financed from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund: objectives and benefits”. The meeting was held at the Sports and Tourism Museum located in the Olympic Center in Warsaw. We invite you to read the information about the meeting in the news.
2.Conducting information and promotion campaign on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund in the context of the possibility of obtaining support under GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020 at the Olympic Center, the Museum of Sport and Tourism and Galeria -1 at the Olympic Center.
The Polish information and promotion campaign carried out by the European Business Club covered, among others the following topics:
- visible marking of the Olympic Center (foyer), Museum of Sport and Tourism and Gallery -1 with the logos of the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation as well as the European Union and GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020
- organizing two stands presenting materials related to GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020, both operated by hostesses: in the foyer of the Olympic Center and the Museum of Sport and Tourism;
- distribution of informational and promotional materials by hostesses at the Olympic Center in Warsaw;
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a projection of the film on the subject of GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020 and logotypes of the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation as well as the European Union and GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020; on a multimedia screen located in the foyer of the Olympic Center prepared by the Association;
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tasting of Polish fishes (including sturgeon, trout, herring, cod, pike) at Gallery-1 of the Olympic Center in Warsaw;
- culinary show in the form of Live Cooking – 3 dishes (including herring tartare) combined with presenting information on GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020 along with free fishes tasting presented by 2 chefs in aprons with logos of GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020;
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presentation of information materials on GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020 on an 80-inch screen in the Gallery – 1 during the tasting of Polish fishes and Live Cooking shows;
- placing information and promotional materials on GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020 in the Association’s gift packages given to guests at the end of the event;
We are pleased to announce that the information and promotion campaign carried out by the Association has been met with great interest from the entrepreneurs. The guests were particularly interested in the issue of financing the restocking of Polish rivers and lakes.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the Operational Program “Fisheries and Sea” for the years 2014–2020 (GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020).The program of financial support from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund of the EU (EMFF) for Poland was approved by the European Commission by a decision from 22 October 2015. Poland was granted over 531 million euros, which together with the contribution from the national budget (about 179 million euros), it gives around 710 million euros. This means that our country is at the forefront of the countries that have received the most funds – this allocation is one of the four highest in the European Union.
Division of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund for 2014-2020 among EU countries (million euros).The managing authority is the minister for fisheries.
The EMFF contributes to the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy and to the implementation of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. It pursues the Union’s priorities for the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture and related activities.
Six Union Priorities (UP) and Technical Assistance are implemented under the GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020. Financial assistance has been directed at supporting both the traditionally understood fisheries sector (as was the case in the financial perspective 2007-2013) as well as the new components, previously financed from sources other than EU funds – such as: the fish market, control and enforcement, collection data and the Integrated Maritime Policy.
UP1: promoting environmentally sustainable, resource-efficient, innovative, competitive and knowledge-based fisheries
- UP2: fostering environmentally sustainable, resource-efficient, innovative, competitive and knowledge-based aquaculture
- UP3: implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)
- UP4: increasing employment and territorial cohesion
- UP5: fostering marketing and processing
- UP6: implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP)
UP1: promoting environmentally sustainable, resource-efficient, innovative, competitive and knowledge-based fisheries – the area of support under sea fishing includes, among others measures aimed at the sustainable exploitation of resources and increasing the profitability of fisheries sector entities, including the diversification of their activities and the diversification of income sources.
The general objective of Priority I is sustainable exploitation of resources and increasing the profitability of the fisheries sector. Under this objective, measures that will be implemented, are aimed at increasing the profitability of fisheries sector entities, including the diversification of activities and diversification of sources of income of fisheries entities. In addition, projects will be implemented while maintaining sustainable management of marine and inland water resources, as well as more efficient use of resources and the innovative use of discards and by-catches.
The emphasis will also be put on strengthening cooperation and links between science and the fisheries sector, using the environmental and social conditions of inland fishing to diversify its activities.
To a limited extent, the program of permanent and temporary cessation of fishing activities will be continued, which will primarily be an element of resource protection due to the fact of temporary imbalance between fishing capacity and available resources. Despite the reduction of fishing capacity by more than 40% (until the end of 2013) it is necessary to continue the program of temporary and permanent cessation of fishing activities due to, among others dynamic changes taking place in the share of Baltic Sea fish resources and fluctuations in the availability of fishing opportunities (catching limits). In addition, it should be noted that the majority of the Baltic fleet is inshore fishing and has no alternative fisheries to the Baltic Sea.
The comprehensive approach to resource protection will be complemented by the construction or installation of devices for the protection and development of aquatic fauna and flora or the dismantling of hydrotechnical devices to restore the continuity of fish migration routes (river fragmentation).
UP 2. Fostering environmentally sustainable, resource-efficient, innovative, competitive and knowledge-based aquaculture – in the aquaculture sector, support was provided to, among others, investment activities, purchase of consultancy services (of a technical, scientific, legal, environmental or economic nature) related to running a farm and insurance of aquaculture resources.
The general objective of Priority II is Poland’s achievement and maintenance of the leading position in the European Union in the production of fish from inland aquaculture (extensive and intensive).
This goal will be implemented through a number of activities, among which should be highlighted the strengthening of cooperation between breeders and the world of science for the needs of innovation and practical solutions in aquaculture farms and focus on the growth or maintenance of the level of entrepreneurship in the aquaculture sector (including encouraging the exchange of generational staff management in aquaculture enterprises, modernization and development of innovative aquaculture farms).
Pro-environmental measures that reduce the negative or increase the positive impact of aquaculture farms on the environment are another key aspect.
As part of sector-wide measures, support will cover operations aimed at increasing production, increasing the profitability of aquaculture entities and strengthening planning (spatial, water policy), with particular emphasis on aquaculture areas.
These activities will be supported by comprehensive funding in the field of:
-supporting sustainable aquaculture providing environmental services,
-supporting the transition of aquaculture (where appropriate) from a classical system to a recirculation (closed loop) system,
-developing or introducing new aquaculture species with already good market potential as an alternative to the dominant carp and trout,
-developing and introducing new or improved products, technological processes, management systems, technical, scientific and organizational knowledge in aquaculture farms,
-diversification of aquaculture activities (farming or supplementing existing operations).
There will be also attempts to carry out aquaculture of marine and euryhaline species (adapted for a wide spectrum of water salinity) with a high market value (e.g. turbot, salmonid fish, sturgeon, eel, zander) e.g. in land-based plants fed with seawater or usually brackish water geothermal.
UP 3. Supporting the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy – measures implemented under this priority are aimed at increasing the efficiency of the fisheries control system and improving the process of collecting fisheries data for the implementation of the CFP.
The objective of priority III is to increase the efficiency of the fisheries control system and to streamline the process of collecting fisheries data for the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and ensuring 100% fulfillment of the obligation to provide all the necessary data for fisheries management.
This goal appeared as a response to the identified need for modernization of IT systems, including the local IT system and a more complete integration of the systems with fisheries administration databases.
In the bottom-up approach, program activities will focus on training fishermen on the objectives and objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy and its implementation, in particular on raising public awareness on the effects of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and the application of the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy.
In the top-down approach, support will be directed to the administration responsible for control. It will also cover the modernization and purchase of control measures. It is also connected with the need to consolidate and improve the quality of tasks performed by control services.
Incorporating inland fisheries elements into control, enforcement and data collection will be a new component of data collection.
PU 4. “Increasing employment and territorial cohesion” is to serve the socio-economic development of fisheries and aquaculture areas. The overall objective of Priority IV is to develop fisheries and aquaculture areas by creating jobs and developing alternative sources of income for fishermen and other industries related to fisheries.
Activating the labor market will be very important in this area. Among them there will be the diversification of employment of people who already have work related to the fisheries sector. It will be done by creating additional jobs outside this sector, not related to the main fishing activity and by encouraging entrepreneurial thinking in young people, e.g. setting up a business. To make this possible, it is planned to launch actions, that would stimulate entrepreneurship of young people as well as increase their participation in the labor market, which will help reduce migration of young and highly qualified people from these areas.
To stimulate the market for a greater demand for products and services produced by newly hired employees, there will be launched activities, that would promote and facilitate the entrepreneurship of local fishing communities, including creating or developing a product supply chain in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Promotional activities will also include the promotion of local fish products as well as non-production values of fisheries and aquaculture areas.
Particularly, the emphasis will be put on supporting these projects, that are related to maintaining good environmental status in fisheries and aquaculture areas, as well as supporting bottom-up initiatives of Fisheries Local Action Groups and local public-private partnerships for the development of these areas.
PU 5. Supporting marketing and processing – the support area has been focused on activities aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the Polish fishery and aquaculture products processing sector.
The general objective of priority V is to increase the competitiveness of the Polish sector of processing fishery and aquaculture products.
Activities in this area will be focused on increasing fish consumption in Poland.
To make this possible, the support will cover activities focused on:
-better adaptation of the producers’ offer to market requirements,
-limiting the negative impact of fish processing on the environment,
-increasing consumer awareness of the origin and nutritional value of fisheries products,
-intensified marketing of fish products,
-launching new products,
-fuller and more efficient use of resources and raw materials through the use of innovative technologies and the use of waste and discards.
PU 6. Integrated Maritime Policy – under IMP, financial assistance will be directed to, among others, activities aimed at organizing an efficient maritime management system.
The general objective of Priority VI is to support the creation of a maritime management system and to achieve and maintain good ecological status of the marine environment, in particular biodiversity and marine protected areas.
The EMFF contributes to the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy and to the implementation of the CFP. It pursues the following Union priorities for the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture and related activities that reflect the relevant thematic objectives pertaining to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013:
1) promoting environmentally sustainable, resource efficient, innovative, competitive and knowledge-based fisheries by achieving the following specific objectives:
(a) reducing the impact of fisheries on the marine environment, including the avoidance and reduction, as far as possible, of unwanted catches;
(b) protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity;
(c) ensuring that there is a balance between fishing capacity and available fishing opportunities;
(d) improving the competitiveness and profitability of enterprises in the fisheries sector, including the small-scale fishing fleet, and improving safety and working conditions;
(e) supporting the strengthening of technological development and innovation, including energy efficiency and knowledge transfer;
(f) development of vocational training, development of new skills as well as lifelong learning;
2) supporting environmentally sustainable, resource-efficient, innovative, competitive and knowledge-based aquaculture by achieving the following specific objectives:
(a) supporting the strengthening of technological development, innovation and knowledge transfer;
(b) increasing the competitiveness and profitability of aquaculture enterprises, including improving safety and working conditions, in particular in SMEs;
(c) protecting and restoring aquatic biodiversity and supporting aquaculture-related ecosystems as well as promoting resource-efficient aquaculture;
(d) promoting aquaculture with a high level of environmental protection and a high level of animal health and welfare, as well as promotion of public health and safety;
(e) development of vocational training, development of new skills as well as lifelong learning;
3) supporting the implementation of the CFP by achieving the following specific objectives:
(a) improving and supplying scientific knowledge, and collecting and managing data;
(b) supporting monitoring, control and enforcement, enhancing institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administration, without increasing the administrative burden;
4) increasing employment and territorial cohesion by implementing the following specific objective: promoting economic growth, social inclusion and job creation, and supporting employability and labor mobility in coastal and inland communities, that are dependent on fisheries and aquaculture, including diversification of activities in fisheries, as well as towards other maritime sectors;
5) supporting of turnover and processing by achieving the following specific objectives:
(a) better organization of the market of fishery and aquaculture products;
(b) encouraging investment in the processing and marketing sector;
6) supporting the implementation of the Integrated Maritime Policy.
The Managing Authority delegated part of its tasks related to the implementation of GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020 to intermediate bodies (IB): the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture and Provincial Governments. The Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture as IB implements the tasks in the scope of priorities I-III, V-VI and technical assistance. Its main tasks are to announce calls, consider applications for co-financing, sign contracts, as well as summon and pay assistance and control operations.
Provincial Governments on the other hand, implement the above-mentioned tasks within priority IV – under this priority, there have been selected 36 Fisheries Local Action Groups (RLGD), which carry out the call for applications.
The rules applicable to beneficiaries when applying for funding are announced e.g. on IB or RLGD websites. Announcements about the call for applications for co-financing for Priorities I-III and V-VI are posted on the website administered by the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture www.arimr.gov.pl and in its headquarters and regional branches as well as on the website of the office supporting the minister responsible for fisheries www.mgm.gov.pl, and for priority IV announcements of the call for applications for co-financing are posted on the website administered by the RLGD that is conducting the recruitment.
Operational Program ‘Fisheries and Sea’ for the years 2014–2020 (GOING AFTER FISHES 2014-2020)
Ministerstwo Gospodarki Morskiej i Żeglugi Śródlądowej
(Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation)
Nowy Świat 6/12, 00-400 Warszawa
www.mgm.gov.pl
