Brussels, 16/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - A political agreement on a multiannual plan for the management of the Baltic Sea cod, sprat and herring stocks was reached on Tuesday evening 15 March between the three EU institutions.
This is the first such plan under the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The rapporteur, Jaros³aw Wa³êsa (EPP, Poland), explained that “After 10 months of difficult negotiations with the Council and the European Commission, the Baltic has a plan which we can be proud of and most importantly a plan which upholds and respects the objectives of the Baltic Regulation”. The rapporteur concluded that the plan would ensure that the fishing activities in the Baltic are conducted in a sustainable, reasonable and economically viable way which will not put unnecessary strain on the environment.
The key point of the new multi-species management plan are the ranges which will define how the Council can set the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas. The ranges are set so as to ensure the sustainability of fisheries and the plan allows enough flexibility to address all issues for the sector from one year to another. Parliament ensured that the plan also includes strong safeguard measures which aim at maintaining stocks at sustainable levels.
The plan includes several provisions for enforcing key parts the new CFP, such as the landing obligation (“discard” ban), and regional management (see background note on the new CFP). The measures in this aspect will build on the joint recommendations from the member states. Regional advisory councils would be consulted during this procedure.
According to the agreement, the Commission would be empowered to adopt delegated acts - based on scientific data and possible changes of circumstances - on measures in case of threat to plaice, flounder, turbot and brill in the Baltic, the implementation of the landing obligation and on specific technical measures. The EP pushed to add a limit to the power conferred on the Commission to adopt delegated acts. Thus the delegation of power will be conferred for an initial period of five years. This would be extended for an identical duration only if Parliament and Council do not oppose to it.
According to the agreed text, three years after the entry into force of the Regulation and every five years thereafter, the Commission would report to the Parliament and the Council on the impact of the plan on the stocks and on the fisheries sector. The informal agreement will need to be endorsed now by the Parliament's Fisheries committee and the Council. The plenary vote is foreseen for May.
The Commission may present its proposal on the North Sea multi-species management plan before the summer. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)