Paris (AFP)

France said Thursday that it had obtained the green light from the European Commission to finance temporary stops in fishing activities, while many crews are docked because of the Covid-19 epidemic.

The Commission "takes up the requests made by France which related, in particular, to the possibility of implementing the support system for the temporary stopping of ships, the reactivation of the storage aid system, which had been suspended since the end 2018, as well as the activation of support measures for aquaculture businesses, all of the measures being subject to the relaxation of the management framework of the Feamp "(European Fund for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries), announced the French Ministry of Agriculture in a press release.

"This proposal must now be submitted and adopted as soon as possible by the Council and the European Parliament," said the ministry.

Fishermen expressed their "satisfaction at finally having measures to respond to the consequences of Covid-19", through the voice of the National Committee for Fisheries, which also issued a press release.

On the other hand, they expressed their "regret at not having a financial instrument disconnected from the Feamp to support a sector that has been roughed up for three weeks, in addition to the tools that the French State has made available".

According to them, the Commission proposal provides for an increased share of the European Union (from 50% to 75%) and a "retroactive mechanism to February 1 while extending it beyond 6 months. usually required (stops would be covered until December 31 if necessary) ".

The president of the national committee of fisheries, Gérard Romiti, wishes "that the technical discussions of implementation of these devices succeed before the beginning of next week, so as to allow the organization and the sustainability of all the actors".

French fishermen are also negotiating with the Ministry of Labor for the possibility of resorting to partial unemployment.

The idea would be that short-time working funds crews and that temporary stops finance companies, hoping that the two schemes will be compatible.

The closure of restaurants deprived the French fishery of 50% of internal consumption in France, and caused a drop in prices which led an immense majority of crews to stay at the dock.

© 2020 AFP