Raad bevestigt overeenkomst EP over hervorming visserijbeleid (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Raad van de Europese Unie (Raad) i, gepubliceerd op maandag 15 juli 2013.

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 15 July 2013 (OR. en) PRESSE 330

EU fisheries reform: the Council confirms the political agreement with the Parliament

The Council confirmed today the political agreement with the European Parliament on the two final compromise texts on the Common fisheries policy (CFP) reform:

  • • 
    Proposal for a regulation on the CFP () replacing the basic provisions of the common fisheries (basic regulation);
  • • 
    Proposal for a regulation on the common organisation of the markets (CMO) in fishery and aquaculture products (), focusing on market policy issues (market regulation);

The regulation on basic provisions of the CFP and the market regulation are two of the three texts of the CFP reform "package" together with the proposal on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) which will be discussed later this year between the EU institutions

The main elements of the final compromise text on basic provisions of the CFP are as follows:

  • • 
    Fishing quotas set will fully respects scientific advice. This will lead to healthy fish stocks and higher quotas as fish stocks are managed at maximum sustainable yield (MSY) levels;
  • • 
    The discard of fish stocks will no longer be allowed ending the old policy which forced fishermen to waste food by discarding fish at sea. Some limited exemptions ensuring the applicability of the measure have been included
  • • 
    Fishermen and other interest groups, as well as national administrations are at the core of developing technical and conservation measures to protect juvenile fish and vulnerable fish species with a completely new regionalised decision making approach
  • • 
    Biologically sensitive areas with spawning grounds and high populations of juvenile fish should be developed and strengthened

For further details on the key elements see document ()

As regards the market regulation, the compromise text clarifies in particular mandatory consumer information on product marking and labeling and the scope of mandatory information. It includes now the gear type used in wild capture fisheries and the requirement of a more detailed indication of the catch area. A list of gear types has been established at technical level. Concerning the designation of the catch area, a wider description is made possible for areas outside North-East Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea

In addition, the compromise text reforms the role of producer organisations which will have less administrative market intervention mechanism at hand. Focus is now given to their own marketing strategies expressed in their production and marketing plans, and a close involvement in the general policy direction, e.g. concerning discard avoidance

The European Parliament approved the texts at the meeting of its Committee on Fisheries on 18 June 2013. Now, after confirmation of the political agreement, if the Council approves the texts in first reading, after legal-linguistic revision, the European Parliament would prepare adoption of the same text in early second reading. The submission to Council of the revised texts can be expected by the end of September or early October this year

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