On Tuesday 18 October, the Council Ministers of the EU adopted its position at first reading on the regulation establishing specific conditions for fishing for deep-water stocks in the north-east Atlantic (see EUROPE 11585 and 11592).
Spain voted against the text, the result of a tough compromise between the EU institutions which prohibits fishing activity with bottom trawls below 800 metres in European Union waters.
The Kingdom of Spain has issued a statement in which it stresses that it has been flexible, particularly in its acceptance of redundant management systems. However, as regards the coverage for the presence of observers on board, Spain is unable to accept the situation as it stands. "The impact which this compromise would involve will cause problems in terms of security, economic costs and the operationality of the fleet, since it envisages 20% observer coverage for targeted fishing, which is not covered by the mandate the Council gave to the Presidency, which was for 15%", Spain explains. It stresses that its commitment to protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems is beyond question and that it has been working for years on mapping seabeds to achieve better and greater protection of ecosystems and the environment. Spain concludes by stating that the compromise will bring about disproportionate costs, does not comply with the principle of proportionality and its added value is not clear.
The text will also 'freeze the fishing footprint' (the requirement for vessels to fish only in areas already fished between 2009 and 2011), step up on-board controls and sanctions, and ensure greater transparency of activity. The European Parliament will vote on this text, which took the Council four years of fairly heated negotiations, at its November plenary. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)