Brussels, 22/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - Agreement on the regulation putting the landing obligation rules (ending of discards) into effect is the number one priority of the Latvian Presidency, Agriculture minister Janis Duklavs told the European Parliament fisheries committee on Thursday 22 January.
Several MEPs asked what the Presidency intended to do on deep-water trawling (Parliament adopted its opinion in December 2013). MEPs also criticised the proposal banning drift gill-nets and went as far as to call for the withdrawal of the proposal tabled.
Duklavs set out the Presidency priorities in fishing. He said that a way had to be found of sustainably managing fish stocks, balancing environmental and economic interests.
Ending discards. “We have to reach agreement as quickly as possible” on the so-called omnibus regulation (arrangements for implementing the end of discards), said Duklavs. He underlined how important this was as there are “contradictory rules” for fishermen (Ed: the reform of the common fisheries policy ended discards from January 2015, yet the regulation setting out these measures has not yet been adopted). He hopes a political agreement will be reached “in the near future”. The rapporteur on this issue Alain Cadec (EPP, France) said: “We, too, want a conclusion but not at any price”. He put suggestions to the Presidency on how to take the matter forward in the hope that that they will “satisfy the Council”. Peter van Dalen (ECR, Netherlands) declared “It mustn't be the fishermen who pay the price of our failure” on ending discards.
Banning drift nets. Duklavs acknowledged that the reaction in Council on the proposal to ban drift gill-nets had been “rather negative” and that solutions would have to be found on a “case-by-case basis”. Cadec, who chairs the fisheries committee, called on the Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella to withdraw the proposal and to bring forward a new one. The commissioner admitted that a total ban did not seem to be the right solution and said that he would consider withdrawing his proposal (see other article). José Blanco Lopez (S&D, Spain) suggested that there should at least be exemptions for small-scale fisheries.
Deep-water fishing. The Presidency plans to hold discussions on this sensitive matter with the member states in March.
Management plans. The Presidency is hoping for agreement in Council before the end of its term of office on the multi-species management plan for the Baltic Sea so that trialogue discussions with Parliament can be opened thereafter. Following the Court of Justice ruling, “account must be taken of Parliament's rights and powers”, said Gabriel Mato (EPP, Spain).
External chapter. The Presidency highlighted the ongoing negotiations with Mauritania on a new fisheries agreement. Duklavs also spoke about the agreements with the Seychelles and Kiribati.
In addition, it is expected that an agreement will be concluded in the first half of this year on fishing measures in the Mediterranean. “We won't be able to resolve all the problems in six months”, Duklavs pointed out (our translation throughout). (LC)