Brussels, 27/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - Poland is challenging the Community regulation which has banned its vessels from fishing cod in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea since the start of July (see EUROPE 9464). “We believe that the Commission's decision was based on false data and that the regulation will lead to the destruction of the fishing sector in Poland,” said Polish Maritime Policy Minister Rafal Wiechecki. He was speaking after a meeting with Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg in Brussels on Thursday 26 July. Mr Wiechecki said that he would suggest to his government that it lodge a complaint with the European Court of Justice to annul the Community regulation which has suspended Poland's cod fishery in the Baltic Sea until the end of the year.
Dr Borg did not allow himself to be intimidated by Poland's protests, believing that the Commission was right to act as it did, since the Polish vessels had caught their quota and failed to declare all their catches. “The Commission is sure of the data is has at its disposal, all the more so since a number of inspections have shown that cod landings have not been declared,” said Dr Borg's spokeswoman. She added that it was, of course, Poland's right to take the matter to the European Court of Justice. The Commission “is sure the Court will find for it,” the spokeswoman said, because it had irrefutable information to back its decision on the fishing ban.
The Commission also pointed out that, “usually, when a quota is exhausted, fishermen are not entitled to Community aid, since it is up to the state to manage the fishing possibilities so that they last the whole year”. Dr Borg was conciliatory, however, since he promised to examine “every possible way to help the Polish authorities control these activities and assist the fishermen affected” by the closure.
Dr Borg's spokeswoman said that it was up to Poland to ensure that the sector observed the fishing ban and she indicated that the Commission had already initiated infringement proceedings against Poland “for failing to meet its control obligations” in the cod fishery in the Baltic Sea. The Polish fishermen's unions have expressed their discontent and are refusing to comply with the European regulation. (lc/aby)