Europese Commissie presenteert visserijplannen (en)

Today the College of Commissioners of the European Commission presented a long expected package of conclusions on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

The discussion on the shape of the CFP has already been commenced by the Commission back in 2009 with drafting of a green paper, with the objective to begin a broader consultation process.

The reform package includes the following documents:

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  Proposal for a new basic regulation on establishing a new framework and key rules for the CFP;
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  Proposal for a new regulation on the organization of the fisheries and aquaculture product market;
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  The European Commission non-legislative communication on the external dimension of the CFP;
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  The European Commission non-legislative communication explaining the political context for the CFP and its objectives;
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  Report on the European Commission’s implementation of obligations imposed by it in the binding basic regulation on the CFP (Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002).

The first occasion to exchange views on the above mentioned package at the political level of Ministers responsible for fisheries, will be the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) on 19^th July. Further works on the reform package will be later conducted by the Presidency on technical level. The objective of the Presidency is to advance the technical examination as far as possible.

The proposed solutions relate to those objectives of the CFP, which have not been achieved as the result of 2002 reform and are based on conclusions made following the consultations carried out by the Commission on the basis of the Green Paper.

The basic objective of the reform package is to guarantee such fishing and aquaculture rules that will secure long term sustainable environmental conditions and will secure food supply. The reform of the CFP will concentrate more than before on the implementation of obligations agreed on the Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002 through inter alia achieving sustainable fishery on the level of MSY (maximum sustainable yield). This means keeping the fishing on maximum high levels, guaranteeing adequate conditions of conducting business by fishermen, while sustaining self-renewability of stocks, i.e. not disturbing the balance between mankind and the environment. The reform of the CFP is to be based on multispecies and the ecosystem approach in relation to fisheries management.

The CFP reform should also contribute, among other things, to reaching the objectives of ‘Europe 2020’ strategy through actions aimed at supporting effective economy and strengthening of cohesion in the coastal regions while at the same time ensuring that living marine resources are exploited in sustainable way.

It is foreseen for the negotiations on the CFP to finish by the end of 2012, and those changes should then apply from 1^st January 2013.

Konrad Niklewicz, spokesman of the Polish Presidency in the Council