Brussels, 10/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - The members of the European Parliament fisheries committee voted by 17 to 1, with 1 abstention, on Monday 9 March to approve the compromise text for implementing the fisheries landing obligation - the so-called omnibus regulation.
The Council and the Parliament reached agreement on 29 January (see EUROPE 11242). The regulation still has to be formally approved by Parliament (at the end of April) and the Council. One of the main goals of the reform of the common fisheries policy (CFP) is to phase out discards in all fisheries through the introduction of an obligation to land all fish caught, beginning with pelagic species in 2015.
The regulation states that by no later than 31 May 2016, and by 31 May each year until 2020 inclusive, the Commission should submit an annual report to the Parliament and the Council on how the landing obligation is working, using information provided by the member states themselves, the advisory councils and other relevant sources. Rapporteur Alain Cadec (EPP, France) was pleased to note that, under the terms of the compromise, the member states will have to put in place measures to manage unmarketable catches landed and to find outlets for them. (Lionel Changeur)