On the maritime and fisheries fund horizon, a study on the use of EMFF financial instruments was published on the fi‑compass website as well as on the EU Publication Office web page. The study focused on assessing the experience in the use of, or the reasons for not using, financial instruments in this sector in the 2014-2020 programming period, as well as exploring the potential use of financial instruments in the new MFF.
To facilitate the dissemination of the key findings a factsheet, summarising the main takeaways from the study was undertaken and published during the annual reporting period. The study was presented during a plug-in event organised in cooperation with DG MARE on 18 June 2021 with a view to showcasing experiences with financial instruments for fisheries, aquaculture and the blue economy, as well as elaborating the rules for financial instruments usage in the 2021-2027 period and possible advantages of this form of support.
An internal training on EMFF/EMFAF financial instruments was also delivered for DG MARE staff on 4 June 2021 in order to strengthen knowledge/capacity in this area and help them assist the managing authorities in programming financial instruments under the new European maritime, Fisheries and Aquiculture Fund (EMFAF).
To further support the EMFAF managing authorities in using financial instruments under their 2021-2027 Operational Programmes and to improve their knowledge on the topic, two pilot MSs – Italy and Finland benefitted from the fi‑compass tailored training service delivered by fi-compass in cooperation with DG MARE.