Today Greenpeace Nordic filed a criminal complaint to the European Commission against the Swedish Government for breaching the EU Habitats Directive, and specifically for the failure to properly implement the rules which restrict fisheries in the designated Natura 2000 areas.
On Thursday 27th October, Commissioner Damanaki will be exchanging views with the Members of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament on the Commission proposals for a reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. The session will be webstreamed live.
On Friday, European Fisheries Ministers agreed on levels for Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for the Baltic Sea in 2012. Building on the progress from last year, Ministers decided to apply cuts for those stocks where scientists had recommended decreases. Although, some important steps towards stock recovery and the achievement of Maximum Sustainable Yield by 2015 were made, the Minsters decisions are still not in line with scientific advice for all stocks.
Next year’s catch quotas for the Baltic Sea will be decided at the October Council meeting on 21 October.
Today, the UK Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee sat to discuss the CFP reform. Professor Alex Rogers from the University of Oxford and the new economics foundation (nef) a founding member of OCEAN2012 were invited to give evidence.
The report reveals the inefficiency of a European fisheries management system which rewards those who underperform in social, economic and environmental terms and punishes those that generate more societal benefits.
168 organisations from 18 EU member states, most of whom represent small-scale fishing organisations, civil society organisations and NGOs, have signed a declaration which calls for those fishing in the most sustainable manner are granted priority access to fisheries.
On October 9, The Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska, PO) party met success in this year’s Polish Parliamentary elections, and made history too. For the first time in twenty years, the ruling party has been re-elected in Poland. Although the election results were not surprising, what was unprecedented, is the incredible support shown for the breakaway faction of the Civic Platform party, the Palikot Movement (Ruch Palikota, RP).
In an effort the secure sustainable fisheries through the CFP reform, small-scale fishermen and NGOs have joined forces, by making a follow-up declaration to that from La Coruna in 2010, on the need to ensure that priority access to fisheries is given to those who fish in the most environmentally and socially sustainable manner.
Following on from the Danish election on the 15th September, a new government has been formed by the victorious left-wing coalition.