On Wednesday 17 September, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the European Union (Coreper) is expected to approve a regulation aimed at strengthening conservation measures for fish stocks against third countries that allow unsustainable fishing (see EUROPE 13677/15). The text will be adopted without debate at a forthcoming meeting of the EU Council.
The aim of the text (https://aeur.eu/f/ig0 ) is to step up sanctions against third countries that fail to comply with the rules on sustainable fishing. It clarifies the criteria defining a ‘failure to cooperate’.
A country will be considered as allowing unsustainable fishing if it does not adopt, implement or enforce the necessary fisheries management measures, or if it adopts discriminatory or non-cooperative measures. Before sanctions are imposed, the country concerned will have 90 days to respond and remedy the situation. Once sanctions have been adopted, they can be lifted if the country adopts appropriate corrective measures agreed with the EU. The regulation will come into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, and will be directly applicable in all Member States. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)