The Parliamentary Secretariat for the EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds would like to announce that the European Commission has approved Malta’s Operational Programme European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for the 2014-2020 financial periods. Following the necessary negotiations, this document has now been finalised and adopted by the European Commission allowing Malta to invest €22,627,422 million under this Operational Programme.
The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for the period 2014-2020 provides funding to the fishing and aquaculture industry and coastal communities to help them adapt to changing conditions in the sector and become economically resilient and ecologically sustainable. It is one of the five European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds which complement each other and seek to promote a growth and job based recovery in Europe.
The EMFF is the financial instrument that will help deliver the objectives of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and will support the implementation of the EU Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP). The EMFF focuses on the long-term strategic objectives of the two policies: for the Common Fisheries Policy, contributing to sustainable and competitive fisheries and aquaculture; for the Integrated Maritime Policy, ensuring a consistent policy framework for the policy and contributing to a balanced and inclusive territorial development of fisheries areas. In line with the Europe 2020 strategy, these broad objectives for 2014 – 2020 are structured around six priorities within the EMFF.
The investments planned by Malta for the period 2014 – 2020 are aimed towards the local fishing community who will benefit from new opportunities in fisheries and other areas of the maritime economy; the aquaculture sector which will have more investment to promote green growth, innovation and competitiveness; Scientists and researchers who will benefit from specific provisions for the public funding of data collection and scientific advice, and from measures to foster innovation and transfer of knowledge between scientists and fishermen; and consumers who will continue to benefit from healthy fisheries and farmed products with high nutritional value.