Brussels, 23/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - The Council of European fisheries ministers on Monday 26 January will hold a first exchange of views on a proposal for a regulation of the establishing of a multiannual plan for the stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea.
The Latvian Presidency will set out its priorities in the area of fishing, which include progress on multiannual management plans to ensure fish stocks are exploited sustainably. This plan aims to ensure that the Baltic stocks of cod, herring and sprat are exploited in a sustainable way according to the principles of maximum sustainable yield (MSY). It will replace the existing management plan for the Baltic Sea cod stocks (in place since 2007) with a multi-species approach. The proposal will be a test case for a new generation of multiannual management plans designed on the basis of principles jointly agreed between the Council and the European Parliament, as a result of the report on the subject from the inter-institutional task force. The task force was put in place to resolve an inter-institutional disagreement on the allocation of responsibilities between the Council and the European Parliament under Article 43 of the Lisbon Treaty.
Under “any other business”, the Presidency and the Commission will brief ministers on the state of play in negotiations on the regulation putting in place the landing obligation (omnibus regulation). Trialogue talks will begin shortly, probably Thursday, to bring the Council and Parliament positions closer. Parliament, it is thought, might be prepared to make some concessions to the Council.
The issue of the sea bass fishery is unlikely to be broached, according to sources, following the emergency measures taken by the Commission, banning fishing for sea bass until April 2015. (LC)