Krav om åbenhed om fiskeriaftaler

EU-Kommissionens Generaldirektorat for Maritime Anliggender (DG-MARE)
har ikke ønsket at efterkomme et ønske om aktindsigt i EU's egne
evalueringer af de såkaldte Fiskeri Partnerskabs Aftaler, FPA. Derfor
har 24 organisationer i en 9 sider lang aktindsigt, bedt EU-Kommissionen
om at få udleveret de ønskede evalueringer.

Brevet kommer efter længere tids brevveksling, hvor DG-MARE har
brugt en række argumenter for at forhale og til sidst helt at afslå
indsigt i fiskeriaftalerne. I en længere periode skete der ikke noget,
da DG-MARE mente at det var praktisk besværligt at tage kopier af de
mange rapporter og at nogle af disse desuden var på arkiv og ville tage
tid at finde. Siden afviste man totalt, med henvisning dels til EU's
forhold til andre lande og dels EU's fiskeriindustris kommercielle
interesser.

Kravet om aktindsigt henviser til den såkaldte Aarhus-Konvention (http://www.unece.org/env/pp/), der udtrykkeligt giver borgere ret til indsigt, inddragelse og retfærdighed i beslutningsprocesser.

Modsat hvad DG-MARE argumenterer, påpeger organisationerne i
henvendelsen, at  en fortsat tilbageholdelse af evalueringerne vil
underminere EU's omdømme i andre lande. Indenfor EU vil en
offentliggørelse desuden være med til at skabe debat og herigennem
opmærksomhed om de sociale og miljømæssige konsekvenser af EU's
tilstedeværelse i tredjelandes farvande.

Da fiskeri er afgørende for fødevaresikkerheden og
eksistensgrundlaget for millioner af mennesker i især afrikanske
kystsamfund, påpeges yderligere vigtigheden af en offentliggørelse for
borgere uden for EU.

Nedenfor kan du læse en pressemeddelelse samt hente brevet om aktindsigt fra de 22 organisationer.

PRESS RELEASE:

Monday, June 20, 2011

24 NGOs file complaint with the European Commission for denying access to documents on EU fisheries agreements in developing countries

In March this year 24 organisations sent a letter to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) requesting access to all the reports held that provide evaluations and audits of their fisheries agreements with non-EU countries. The EU currently has agreements with 15 countries, worth 140 million Euros. The ex ante and post ante evaluation documents should contain information on the environmental, economic and social impact of these agreements in developing countries, as well as information on how EU money has been used by host governments.

The original letter of request made reference to the Aarhus Convention?a powerful piece of legislation that provides citizens the right to access information on the environment held by public authorities in Europe. Yet the request was refused on the grounds that the documents are confidential to protect commercial interests of the European fishing fleet and preserve the international relations of the EU. No further information was supplied on why this is the case, and how the commercial interests of the EU fishing fleet are considered more important by the EU than the public?s interest.

Making the evaluation documents of EU fisheries agreements public is important for several reasons. Most of the countries that have access agreements with the EU are in Africa, where problems of overfishing and poor fisheries management are increasingly evident. Citizens of these countries have a right to know whether EU access agreements have contributed to overfishing and how EU funds have been spent by their governments--over half of the money paid to third countries for fisheries access by the EU is earmarked for improving scientific research, enhancing the ability to combat illegal fishing and promoting domestic fisheries, including within the small-scale sector. It is quite possible that these evaluation documents will show that the EU?s role in African fisheries has not been as detrimental as many believe and that money has been well spent. Indeed, the EU claims its fisheries agreements represent a win-win solution; good for European fishing interests, and good for African fisheries development. If so, then this will be evident in its evaluations and widespread concerns that the EU has been plundering Africa?s fish stocks for decades will be laid to rest.

In publishing its evaluations, the EU could also send out a strong message to other governments and international organisations that
transparency and accountability is a vital condition for effective fisheries management. Russia, China, Japan and South Korea all sign fisheries agreements in developing countries, yet they chose to keep details of these agreements entirely confidential. Meanwhile hundreds of millions of Euros is invested each year in Africa for fisheries development, and there is also sparse information on how this money is being used?project documents are rarely published, as are evaluations and audited budgets. It is possible that a significant amount of this aid has been lost to corruption and fraud, or it has been invested in ways that further foreign commercial interests at the expense of marine conservation and local food security.

Slowly the international community is realizing that lack of transparency in marine fisheries is major problem. In its latest State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report, the FAO described lack of transparency as a major a contributing factor to all the negative aspects of marine fisheries, such as bad decision-making, corruption, perverse subsidies and illegal fishing. Overcoming the global marine crisis depends on those in a position of authority being much more open and accountable.

It is for these reasons that a complaint has been registered with the Secretary General of the EC about the refusal by DG-MARE to publish its evaluation documents. The complaint was prepared in collaboration with Client Earth, which has established a legal centre to provide citizens with support and advice on how to use the Aarhus Convention. 24 organisations signed on to this complaint, including the steering group of Ocean2012?a coalition of 123 European and international organisations that is working to ensure the reform of the European Union?s Common Fisheries Policy leads to sustainable and fair use of fish stocks, not only in Europe but worldwide.

The EC has until the 27th of June to confirm whether they stand by their original decision or not. If not, then the option of taking the EC to court will be considered.

André Standing, TransparentSea, Kenya.

For further information email: andre.standing@transparentsea.co