The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology revealed that, "after a long negotiation period", the European Commission has notified Portuguese authorities about "the approval" of the National Operational Programme of the European Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) .

"This is good news for the Region, which a little too late," Fausto Brito e Abreu said, stressing that the Azores will receive 73.8 million Euros under this Operational Programme for the period 2014-2020," which represent a 19% increase regarding the previous Community framework for the fisheries sector."

The Regional Secretary regretted the "severe delay" in the approval of the Operational Programme, stressing that this situation has created "some difficulties to Azorean fishers, namely in the delay of payments under POSEI-PESCAS."

According to Brito e Abreu, "we are expecting the approval of these Compensation Plans for the Azores and Madeira by the European Commission in the coming days."
"The Compensation Plans for peripheral regions are part of this Operational Programme, but the EU decision-making process is more complex," the government official said, adding that "POSEI should be implemented during the first half of next year."

The EMFF funds for the Region, 30.6 million Euros to finance POSEI-PESCAS, represent an increase of 51% compared to the programming period 2007-2013. It comprises the submission of applications for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016.

According to Community legislation, the Operational Programme financed by EMFF has a national scope and will be managed by a manager under the supervision of new Ministry of the Sea.

The national legislation already approved on the programme management provides that the manager will be assisted by two regional coordinators in the Autonomous Regions, who will perform the duties related to the implementation of a wide range of measures.

According to the same legislation, the duties of the Certification Authority and the Audit Authority of EMFF will be exercised by the Financing Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries (IFAP) and the General Inspectorate of Finances.

The remaining 43.2 million Euros will be directed to a wide range of measures designed to promote the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture, including the support to the sectors of trade and processing, the local development in fisheries or the collection of data under the Common Fisheries Policy.

The Azores may also benefit from support measures for the Integrated Maritime Policy as well as for the control and enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy, whose management will be centralised at national level.
 
In the coming months, the access rules to several support measures will be defined at national and regional level as well as the selection criteria of applications. It is expected that the implementation of most measures covered by the Programme will be concluded in the first half of 2016.