EU adopts emergency aid package for fishing sector

AFP, July, 2008

BRUSSELS (AFP) — EU fisheries ministers adopted late Tuesday an emergency aid package worth up to two billion euros to help fishermen cope with soaring fuel prices, the EU's French presidency said.

"Political agreement was reached by a qualified majority on urgent measures for the fishing sector," the presidency said, as the ministers met into the evening in Brussels.

The European Commission says that fuel prices for fishing boats have soared 240 percent since 2002, putting severe pressure on a sector already struggling to cope with overcapacity and dwindling fish stocks.

Fishermen have led waves of often militant protests mainly across southern Europe in recent months against the rising cost of fuel, including in Brussels where one incident caused minor damage to an EU building.

The emergency package will be spread over several years, with 1.4 billion euros coming from the European Fisheries Fund, which has a budget of ...