Brussels, 01/08/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission will be adopting a "Strategy for developing the European aquaculture sector" within the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in the autumn. The COPA (Committee of Agricultural Organisation in the European Union) and COGECA (General Committee for Agricultural Cupertino in the European Union) have at the same time, written to the Agriculture commissioner, Franz Fischler, to request "structural interventions" to be able to conform to the desired environmental sustainability. This aid, according to these organisations, will allow for a re-evaluation of the importance of the extensive aquaculture in fresh and saltwater, lagoons and lakes, which must confront high cost levels.
In their letter, the respective Presidents of COPA and COGECA, Gerd Sonnleitner and Marcus Borgström, explain that, "European aquaculture represents more than 30% of the total value of EU fish production and constitutes a highly promising and expanding market that can help to solve the problem of securing the fish industry". The two organisations regret that the Commission affords little importance to aquaculture within the framework of its recent Communication on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).