Brussels, 23/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 22 December, the EU Council of Ministers adopted, without debate, conclusions on the European Union's lodging of objections to three recommendations adopted by the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) at its 2009 annual meeting (9-13 November). These recommendations are: 1) Recommendation II on conservation and management measures for deep and shallow pelagic redfish in the Irminger Sea and adjacent waters in the NEAFC Convention Area in 2010; 2) Recommendation IX on management measures for orange roughy in 2010 and 2011; and 3) Recommendation XVI on a ban on discards in the NEAFC Regulatory Area.
The Council Working Party on Internal and External Fisheries Policy reached an agreement on 7 December on the text of the recommendations. In its conclusions, the Council notes the three recommendations in question are “in conflict” with the objectives of the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in North-East Atlantic Fisheries, with generally accepted standards for the conservation and management of living marine resources and what is necessary at this juncture. The Council agreed that the EU should lodge objections to the above-mentioned recommendations “so as to avoid that those recommendations become measures binding upon the European Union”. In view of the urgency of the situation, the Commission is requested to notify NEAFC of these objections within the stipulated time limit of 50 days. (L.C./transl.rt)