Brussels, 05/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 4 November, the Faroe Isles launched a procedure before the WTO attacking the EU's decision banning imports of herring and mackerel from fishing zones of this autonomous province of Denmark.
On 20 August, the EU decided to ban imports of herring and mackerel from the fishing zones of the Faroe Isles, which it accuses of overfishing (see EUROPE 10910). The EU also decided to restrict the use of EU ports by vessels fishing the herring and mackerel stocks under the control of the Faroe Isles. Certain vessels of the Faroe Isles are not allowed to dock in EU ports other than in an emergency.
Acting on behalf of the Faroe Isles, Denmark on Monday presented the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with a “request for consultations” with the European Union. The complaint submitted now opens a maximum of 60 days of consultations between the parties.
In the request for consultations, the Faroe Isles argue that the measures recently taken by the EU are “discriminatory”, run counter to a number of rules of international trade and effectively make it impossible to export certain species of these fish to the EU.
The EU accuses the Faroe Isles of compromising the sustainability of reserves of herring in the North Atlantic. Arguing on the grounds of an increase in herring stocks in their area, the Faroe Isles announced that they were unilaterally setting themselves a quota in 2013 which was 145% higher than the previous year for this fishery, bringing their catch to 105,000 tonnes. In their request for consultations submitted to the WTO, the Faroe Isles stressed that the EU wished to reduce this figure to 31,000 tonnes. (LC/transl.fl)