Brussels, 28/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and Maritime Affairs Simon Coveney said on Monday 28 January that the Presidency's aim is to reach an agreement “before the end of June 2003” on the legislative package reforming the common fisheries policy (CFP), specifically the following three proposed regulations: the proposal on the CFP (basic regulation), the proposal for a common market organisation (CMO) in the fisheries products and aquaculture sector (market policy) and the proposal on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). This objective is “achievable”, according to the Irish minister.
At the discussion on the reform (see related article), all of the fisheries ministers expressed their hopes that a full agreement could be achieved by the end of June 2013, so that a new CFP could be in place in early 2014. Many, however, felt that this was “ambitious”.
Maria Damanaki, European Fisheries Commissioner, welcomed this level of ambition on the part of the Presidency and the proposed timing: “if this timetable is kept to, we will be able to have an agreement on a new CFP, which is sustainable and profitable for the sector, before the end of the Irish Presidency”.
The reform of the CFP is on the agenda of the Councils to be held in January, February, April, May and June.
Readers may recall that on 12 June 2012, the Council reached a general approach on the basic regulation and the regulation on the markets. A partial general approach on the EMFF was agreed in October 2012. The EP has already voted on the market measures and will vote on the basic regulation on 6 February and on the EMFF in June.
Other issues during the semester. The Irish Presidency referred to other matters on fisheries to be dealt with over the next six months: technical and control measures in Skagerrak (ban on discards in this zone, see related article), measures on deep-sea fishing, aligning fisheries regulations on the Treaty of Lisbon, the external dimension of the CFP (EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, on which negotiations are making good progress, according to Simon Coveney, and regional fisheries organisation in the Mediterranean). “The Irish Presidency wants results and a working programme which all delegations are happy with”, the Irish minister concluded. (LC/transl.fl)