On June 22, interested stakeholders met for the first time to discuss the establishment of a Baltic Sea Regional Advisory Council (RAC).
The new regional advisory bodies on fisheries are being established all around the EU after the CFP reform in 2002 and the Council’s Decision in July 2004 (2004/585/EC).
The meeting held in Copenhagen was initiated by the Baltic Fishermen’s Association. It was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including fishing sector interest, environmental NGOs, government officials, fisheries scientists and consumer interest groups. A draft set of statutes was discussed together with a timetable for the formal establishment of the RAC and suggestions for an interim Executive Committee.
The aim now is to send the necessary documents to the European Commission as well as the relevant Member States as soon as possible. The interrim Executive Committee is likely to have a meeting sometime in October, while the first General Assembly will not take place until early next year.
In the whole of the EU, seven RACs will be established for North Western waters, South Western waters, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, pelagic stocks and long-distance fleets. So far, only the North Sea RAC is fully up and running. The Pelagic RAC and the North Western waters RAC will be holding their first General Assemblies in September. The others have all started the process of discussing establishment among stakeholders.