Brussels, 03/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - Addressing members of the European Parliament fisheries committee on 3 October, Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg strongly counselled France and Italy to accept, at the end of November, a compromise on technical measures for the exploitation of fish stocks in the Mediterranean. Responsibility for the failure of the last negotiations on this issue on 20 September 2005 lay largely with these two countries (see EUROPE 9031).
In the event of another failure at the Council on 20-21 November, the Commission will be obliged to “indefinitely postpone” the conclusion of an agreement on technical fishing measures in the Mediterranean and implement, on behalf of the EU (and the Member States concerned), the international commitments subscribed to in the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the competent regional organisation, warned Dr Borg. He pointed out that countries which failed to adhere to these international resource management rules would leave themselves open to infringement procedures. He stressed too that the Commission would not accept a compromise which undermined the main elements of its initial proposal and emptied management measures of all sense. He acknowledged, nevertheless, that an agreement would be impossible without the consent of France and Italy, key speakers in the debate. This was especially so since it was the Member States which would implement and the new Community rules and ensure they were respected, he added.
Elsewhere, the Commissioner confirmed that fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea (see EUROPE 9258) and the preparation of bilateral fisheries negotiations with Norway (which begin on 6 November) would be the main topics at the Council of 24-25 October. The proposal on fishing possibilities for deep-sea species (see EUROPE 9275) will be examined at the Council meeting in Brussels on 20-21 November, and not in October as was initially planned by the Finnish Presidency. (lc)