9. Emphasises that, by virtue of its multifunctional dimension, the fisheries sector provides communities with common goods which benefit EU citizens in general, and not only those directly or indirectly involved in fisheries, a contribution which must be acknowledged and valued; notes, further, that considerable numbers of EU citizens, in particular those living in coastal areas, benefit from the multifunctionality of fisheries activities; considers that the multifunctionality of the fisheries sector should be fully taken into account in the financing of the CFP; stresses that the production of these additional public goods must not ...[+++]be used as an excuse to delay necessary reforms of the CFP;

B. whereas the fisheries sector, which covers both the catching of wild fish and aquaculture, involves activities which contribute to the production of indispensable common goods through three main strands, fishing, processing and marketing; whereas healthy fish stocks, healthy marine ecosystems and the preservation of marine biodiversity constitute important common goods which must be preserved;

10. Underlines that the fisheries sector has a multi-functional dimension through which it provides communities with additional common goods, beneficial to Europeans citizens in general and not only to those directly or indirectly related to fisheries, which must be acknowledged and valued; furthermore, a considerable number of the European citizens living in particular in costal areas are benefitting from the multi-functionality of the fisheries activity; stresses that the production of these additional public goods shall not be used as an excuse to delay necessary reforms of the CFP and the fisheries sector, as the replenishment of s ...[+++]tocks and the removal of excess overcapacity;

13. Notes that decoupled direct payments, conditional upon cross-compliance requirements, can help to support and stabilise farm incomes, allowing farmers to supply, in addition to food production, vitally important public goods for the whole of society, such as ecosystem services, employment, landscape management and rural economic vitality throughout Europe; considers that direct payments should reward farmers for providing these public goods, as the market does not supply public goods alone and does not yet recompense farmers for providing them, at a time when farmers often face high production costs in order to produce high-quality ...[+++]food and low farmgate prices for their produce;

5. Is convinced that the EU budget should support the provision of public goods that are unlikely to be sufficiently delivered by the market; environmental public goods include the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems, wilderness, climate stability and carbon absorption capacity, water provision and quality, air and soil quality, resilience to fire and floods, as well as the maintenance of valued cultural and historic landscapes; believes, therefore, that the Common Agricultural Policy should reward farmers and land managers for the delivery of public goods, such as an attractive countryside rich in biodiversity, and that the St ...[+++]ructural and Cohesion Funds should foster ecological sustainable development and the transition to a low energy-consumption and resource-efficient society;

In addition, market-based instruments can also boost the markets for environmental services and increase the demand for public goods.