Brussels, 15/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission adopted a communication intended to launch a debate with a view to finding ways to simplify the regulatory environment of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The document above all identifies the problems encountered by the national and professional administrations, and suggests avenues of reflection for improving the situation in the future.
The Commission foresees adoption, in 2005, of a five-year action plan after discussing the matter with the parties interested. Themes covered by the discussion are:
Multiannual stock management strategies: The adoption of other management strategies would, in addition to protecting resources, make it possible to reduce frequency of recurrent legislation on TACs and annual quotas. Also, the Commission suggests it would be useful for "integrated management strategies" to include the corresponding rules from the various chapters of the CFP, which would ensure management does not appear to be a "jumble of measures".
Reducing the workload for administrations: It is also necessary to simplify the rules and procedures for reducing the number of reports to be forwarded to the DG Fisheries, or in order to take conservation and control measures that are less costly.
Lightening the workload and restrictions for fishermen: The Commission mainly suggests developing the use of computerisation for transmission of data to public authorities, rather than transmitting data by hand in the logbook. It is also recommended that discussion should be held on better harmonisation of controls carried out by the Member States.
Reflection on improving the regulatory environment within the EU is not new. The Commission had already adopted an action plan on the subject in June 2002, resulting in an interinstitutional agreement for better legislation, concluded in December 2003. CFP reform in December 2002 had also taken simplification efforts into account.