Brussels, 08/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - European fisheries ministers, meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday 12 June, will try to reach initial political agreement on some of the important issues in the reform of the common fisheries policy. Reducing discards is currently causing negotiations to stall.
Ministers are expected to adopt a general approach on a proposal for a regulation on the common fisheries policy (CFP) and a proposal on a common organisation of markets in fisheries and aquaculture products. A general approach is a political agreement reached in Council while awaiting the European Parliament's first reading position. In addition, the Danish Presidency of the Council of Ministers will present a progress report on the European maritime and fisheries fund (EMFF).
Basic provisions of the CFP. Debate will focus principally on discard policy. The European Commission, supported by most member states, is calling for the phasing out of the practice of discarding unwanted fish at sea. Some countries, such as France and Belgium, argue for a significant reduction in discards in certain fisheries. According to these two countries in particular, a zero discard approach is unachievable as vessels are not equipped to store the fish that would have been thrown overboard. Furthermore, there is the problem of how the fish that would previously have been discarded can be used. A compromise appears to be taking shape on reaching maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for fish stocks by 2015 where this is possible and by 2020 at the latest. Under pressure from a number of countries, the Commission has given up on the compulsory introduction of transferable fishing concessions. Countries may still, if they wish, use this instrument, designed principally to reduce fleet capacity.
Account will be taken of the joint statement by several countries (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark) on regionalisation.
Common market organisation. The Council agrees with most of the provisions in this regulation, apart from creating a European eco-label. Eco-labelling is called for by Ireland, Italy, France, Portugal and Germany. The European parliament is due to vote on these texts in November.
EMFF. The progress report presented by the Presidency sets out the state of play and describes views expressed by delegations in relation to a series of main outstanding issues. It identifies the main achievements on the issue and the points which should be discussed further (see EUROPE 10628 on the proposals by the rapporteur). Discussion is proving difficult on aid for modernisation of the fishing fleet and for scrapping of vessels, and depends on the debate on the financial framework for 2014-2020. (LC/transl.rt)