Brussels, 09/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - Next Tuesday, during its plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament will examine three reports that will allow it to tackle the future of Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) from the angle of its next revision in 2002 and in the context of the growing globalisation of this economic activity. The joint discussion will be on an own-initiative report drafted by the chairman of the Committee on Fisheries, Daniel Varela Suanzes Carpegna (EPP, Spanish). The report mainly deals with the problems related to globalisation, and two reports by Pat Gallagher (UEN, Ireland) and Bernard Poignant (French Socialist) on the operational aspects of CFP.
The report by Mr Varela insists on the need to preserve the identity of the coastal regions and to support the economic and social cohesion of the local communities concerned. It presses for a consistent strategy in the context of WTO negotiations with an approach that takes the "multifunctional" nature of fishing into account, but also ambitious objectives for the protection of the environment, conservation of resources and food safety. The European Union, it states, should encourage the creation of regional fishing organisations, which are the most flexible instrument for the management of sea fishing resources. The EU should also avail itself of the means (mainly in staffing) to have greater influence within the existing regional organisations. The Commission, moreover, is invited to take initiatives to penalise the Community operators flying flags of convenience in so far as they comply neither with Community law nor with the international law of the sea and hence create situations of unfair competition within the Union.
In his report, Mr Gallagher returns to the dysfunction of Common Fisheries Policy, which should be corrected when it is revised, and recommends making the CFP consistent with the other Community policies. The improvements recommended include: (1) the introduction of a quality label for fishing and fishing products; (2) the strengthening of technical conservation measures (net mesh size, minimum catches); (3) the strengthening of the Community inspection service (with powers equivalent to those of national inspectors) as well as the harmonisation of inspection regimes and of infringement penalties.
Mr Poignant's report mainly invites the plenary to give its views on: - keeping the current quota and TAC system; - the application of more selective fishing methods and the establishment of incentives for reducing rejects; - the maintaining of boxes (including the Shetland Box); - the Commission proposal aimed at extending until end 2002 the current MAGP IV (Multi-Annual Guidance Programme aimed at reducing excessive fleet capacities). It also recommends carrying out a further census of Member State fishing vessels. EUROPE recalls that the professionals in the fishing sector are fiercely opposed to renewal of MAGP and that the Member States are not in favour of keeping this mechanism in place (see our bulletin of 18 November, p.12).