Brussels, 05/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - Two major issues feature on the agenda of the Fisheries Council, under the Dutch Presidency in the first half of this year: the management plan for certain fish stocks in the North Sea and technical measures (including rules on drift nets as the initial proposal has been withdrawn).
At the Council on 15 February, the European Commission will set out for ministers its proposal of 10 December 2015 for a new system for granting and managing fishing authorisations. An exchange of views among member states is scheduled thereafter. The aim of the proposed regulation is to improve the monitoring both of EU vessels fishing outside EU waters and international vessels fishing in European Union waters (details are to be found in see EUROPE 11450).
At the Council meeting on 14 March, the Commission could present a proposal establishing a multiannual plan on demersal fisheries in the North Sea. A Council debate in this matter is scheduled. The European Parliament and the Council of the EU are currently engaged in talks on the cod plan in the Baltic Sea (first generation of this type of new multiannual plan).
At the Council on 11 and 12 April, fisheries ministers may, according to the provisional timetable, agree a general approach on the fisheries authorisations regulation and on the new data collection framework. On 10 May, the Commission could present its proposal on technical measures (see EUROPE 11454). Additionally, according to the proposed timetable, ministers could come to a general approach on the multiannual plan in the North Sea. And in June, the Commission could brief ministers on blue growth and ocean governance.
Final inter-institutional negotiations are expected to take place in January on the sensitive issue of deep-water trawling (see EUROPE 11436). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)