Brussels, 08/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - The final report by the inter-institutional task force on multiannual plans for managing certain fish stocks (see EUROPE 11054) was subject to a certain amount of criticism by the French delegation on Wednesday 7 May during the Coreper (Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU) meeting. The majority of countries that spoke (United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark) said that they thought the report was balanced and should help the Commission to present plans in the near future. France, however, believes the report does not take sufficient account of the Council's specific powers (Art. 43(3) of the treaty). The French delegation believes that the conclusions reached by the task force would, for example, allow the European Parliament to set out upper and lower Maximum Sustained Yields (MSY) limits for certain stocks, which would restrict the Council's leeway to negotiate. The Commission stated that the next plans to be presented could involve the Baltic (scientific opinion available) and perhaps anchovy (as soon as an opinion is available). (LC)