European fisheries ministers will discuss the worrying state of cod stocks in Eastern Baltic waters on Tuesday 18 June in Luxembourg.
The advice of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on the state of the cod stock in the Eastern Baltic confirms its deterioration and calls for a zero total allowable catch (TAC) for this stock in 2020.
Lithuania asked to be able to discuss this subject in "other" ways. This country recalls that the current European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) does not provide adequate measures and funding to address the problem.
The European Commission is requested to: - present a detailed action plan identifying the causes of the depletion of the resource; - propose, in addition to emergency measures on fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea in 2020, a set of measures to mitigate the negative socio-economic consequences for fishermen who are heavily dependent on this activity.
These measures could include additional EMFF support for the countries concerned and amendments to EU legislation to compensate (or grant State aid to) fishermen.
In addition, the Commission will encourage Member States to intensify their efforts to submit joint recommendations as provided for in Article 11(3) of the regulation on the Common Fisheries Policy (on regionalisation). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)