Brussels, 04/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - The Polish governed announced its decision on Wednesday 3 October to go the European Court of Justice to have the regulation which bans Polish vessels from fishing cod in the Baltic until the end of the year annulled. According to Poland, which is taking this initiative following a council of ministers, the European Commission has incorrectly estimated the volume of cod caught in the nets of Polish vessels. In Warsaw's view “the conclusions of a control carried out by the Commission lack objectivity and cannot be accepted”.
At least forty Polish boats have infringed the ban on cod fishing in the Baltic in the last fortnight. Despite warnings from the European Commissioner for fisheries Joe Borg, the Polish government is still refusing to punish its fishermen, contesting the quota system used by the Commission and, more generally, the European policy protecting the fish (EUROPE 9511). “We are giving ourselves until the end of October to resolve this dispute”, AFP was told by maritime ministry spokesperson Krzysztof Gogol. According to him, several meetings with maritime ministers from Baltic countries and talks with Mr Borg are planned in that time. Poland will attempt to promote its own plan for safeguarding cod and to get the fishing ban lifted.
“The criteria used by the Commission to stop this fishing are the same ones applied to other EU countries”, the Commission points out, adding: “when we asked Germany to stop fishing for the same reasons (filled quotas), it did so” and the same is true of Sweden. There is a difference of opinion between the Commission and Poland on the data, which is “possible and acceptable, but fishing must stop while we discuss it”, Mr Borg's spokesperson stressed. She also said that the Commission is “untroubled” and certain that it has applied the criteria “as it should”. Of course, the Commission concedes that “it is Poland's right to go to the Court”. (lc)