News
September 21, 2006
NGO’s call on governments to oppose the proposed de minimis regulation
In June, the European Commission proposed to decouple the de minimis aid in the fisheries sector from that in the agricultural sector and to increase it tenfold. Under the new regulation, up to € 30.000 of state aid would not need to be notified to the European Commission if given to an enterprise over a … Continued
July 27, 2006
The European Commission’s multi-annual plan for the Cod stocks and fisheries in the Baltic Sea
On 24 July the European Commission published its proposal for a Council Regulation to establish a multi-annual plan for the Baltic Sea cod stocks and their fisheries. Despite the adoption and implementation of a management plan under the auspicious of the International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission (IBSFC) in 2003, the two cod stocks in the … Continued
July 17, 2006
The European Commission publish their 5th Annual Report on Serious Infringements
On 14 July 2006, the European Commission published their 5th annual report on serious infringements to the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Difficult to compare Member States In similar tone and conclusion to the previous reports, the Commission highlight the difficulty in using the information that Member States provide to draw clear conclusions … Continued
July 8, 2006
The European Commission advocate fisheries management based on Maximum Sustainable Yield
“…it is time to manage European fisheries in a different way, looking for success rather than to seek merely to avoid failure”, these words are used in the introduction of the European Commission’s Communication on, “Implementing sustainability in EU fisheries through maximum sustainable yield”, published on the 5th July 2006. Maximum Sustainable Yield The Communication … Continued
June 22, 2006
European Fisheries Fund – adopted 19 June
On Monday 19 June, EU Fisheries Ministers finally agreed on the new European Fisheries Fund (EFF) at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. EUR 3.8 billion will be set aside to provide support for the fisheries sector. The EEF, due to cover 2007-2013, will replace the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) which will close at … Continued
June 12, 2006
ICES’ advice for Baltic Cod 2007
On the 9th June 2006 the ICES’ Advisory Committee on Fishery Management (ACFM) published their advice to the European Commission on the two Baltic Sea cod stocks for 2007. The following provides a summary and comment on their assessments and advice. Baltic Sea cod in subdivisions 22-24 (Western Baltic) The quantity of mature cod (also … Continued
June 9, 2006
EU Maritime Green Paper focus on economic growth
On June 7th the Commission published a Green Paper named “Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: A European vision for the oceans and seas”. The aim is to boost economic growth in maritime sectors in accordance with the Lisbon Strategy while protecting the marine environment. Environmental groups are skeptical, saying the focus is … Continued
June 7, 2006
European Fisheries Fund – EU Council meeting 22 May
The highly debated European Fisheries Fund (EFF) was on the agenda again at the 22 May European Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting. However, the 25 Member States were unable to agree on how to spend the €3.8 Billion. The major sticking point was whether or not to make EFF eligible for vessel modernisation. The issue … Continued
May 29, 2006
New EU – Morocco fisheries agreement in breach of international law
The European fisheries ministers concluded a fisheries partnership agreement at the Council meeting May 22nd. The agreement provides for the EU to pay Morocco €144.4 million under four years in return for giving 119 European vessels (100 Spanish, 14 Portuguese, 4 French and 1 Italian) opportunities to fish in Morocco’s Atlantic coastal waters, including the … Continued
January 11, 2006
European Parliament votes in favour of greater protection for Europe’s seas
Joint comment by Greenpeace , BirdLife International, the European Environment Bureau, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Fisheries Secretariat, Seas At Risk and WWF on the European Parliament Plenary Vote on the Marine Strategy Directive: The European Parliament today called for a determined Europe-wide effort to combat the impacts of destructive and unsustainable fishing, … Continued