On Wednesday 11 March, the Council of the European Union approved a mandate to begin negotiations with the European Parliament on a regulation establishing a new European framework for fisheries and aquaculture statistics.
This new framework aims to modernise the collection and use of statistical data on fisheries and aquaculture throughout the EU. It will provide reliable and timely data, which is essential for designing, implementing and evaluating EU policies, including the common fisheries policy (CFP).
The future regulation will replace five existing regulations that currently govern the collection of data on fish catches, landings, the EU fishing fleet and aquaculture production. It will establish a single, coherent legal framework designed to improve the consistency and efficiency of data collection and reporting across the EU. The updated system also makes greater use of modern data sources and digital technologies, in particular administrative data and electronic databases and registers.
The Member States have also clarified several elements of the Commission proposal, including reporting requirements, the scope of data collection and the balance between additional statistical information and the need to limit administrative burden for national authorities and economic operators. Negotiations between the EU Council Presidency and the European Parliament should begin shortly (see EUROPE 13691/5). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)