Artur Lima meets with European Commission DG MARE - Communication

Vice-Presidência do Governo Regional

The Vice-President of the Regional Government, Artur Lima, together with MEP Paulo do Nascimento Cabral, met in Brussels with the Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission DG MARE, Charlina Vitcheva.

The meeting was intended to discuss the key topics regarding the regional maritime economy as well as to emphasise the Region's perspectives on matters of great importance in this sector. 

On this occasion, Artur Lima mentioned the re-establishment of POSEI Fisheries, a mechanism to offset the extra costs of this activity in an outermost region such as the Azores.

In the context of the Oceans Pact and the recent creation of the largest Marine Protected Area in the North Atlantic, Artur Lima emphasised the need to create a compensation mechanism for fishers who may be affected by the implementation of this decision.

Among the topics under discussion was the revision and simplification of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). In this context, the Vice-President stressed the importance of this fund considering the renewal of the regional fishing fleet as eligible to promote its modernisation, efficiency and safety, and the sustained development of this sector. 

At the same time, the Vice-President of the Regional Government stressed the importance of guaranteeing the necessary financial support for the promotion of professional specialisation programmes for Azorean fishers.

The meeting took place in the context of the ongoing drafting of the European Union's next Multiannual Financial Framework, which will be presented shortly.

The meeting also takes place on the occasion of the POSEI Forum for the Outermost Regions in Brussels on May 20, an event co-organised by MEP Paulo do Nascimento Cabral.