Most of the EU Fisheries Ministers, who met on Monday 29 June by videoconference for their last EU Council under the Croatian Presidency, expressed their concerns about the fact that 2020 was an exceptional year for the European fisheries sector, having to deal with both the uncertainties surrounding the future relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom, and the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. The European Commission presented its communication to them, which is entitled ‘Towards more sustainable fisheries in the EU: state of play and guideline for 2021’, which was published on 16 June (see EUROPE 12507/20) and is aimed at establishing fishing opportunities for 2021.
Several delegations (Denmark and the Netherlands in particular) asked for additional flexibility in 2021 for managing Total Allowable Catches (TACs) under the current specific conditions. However, for the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, it is necessary, on the contrary, to prove that the sustainability of European fisheries works. Moreover, he noted that the EU was supposed to achieve Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) for fish stocks by 2020.
EU ministers also discussed the issue of controlling by-catches and mandatory landing requirements. Many European ministers (Spain and Belgium in particular) have expressed the difficulties they’ve experienced in implementing all their obligations in this area, which should lead to better selectivity of fishing methods. The Netherlands has even asked to discuss alternative solutions to this arrangement, as they consider it to be too complex. However, once more, Virginijus Sinkevičius has asked them to respect their commitments: “It is the responsibility of the Member States to ensure the proper implementation of this Regulation – there are already flexibilities in place which should be sufficient to deal with specific difficulties”.