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Agreement on a fisheries reform has been reached
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
20th December 2002
Today, EU Fisheries Ministers reached agreement on a reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, on catch volumes and quotas for 2003, and on a plan for recovery of the cod stocks in the North Sea.
“I am very, very happy that we have managed to reach agreement on a reform of the fisheries policy. This agreement takes into account the situation concerning threatened fish stocks, and ensures a sustainable fishery in the future. This has been an extremely important task to solve, and it is no secret that it has been a difficult process, where everybody concerned has had to give way in order to reach this compromise. Everybody has worked constructively, and I think we have reached a good result, which strikes a balance between consideration for threatened stocks and consideration for the industry and local communities, where fishing is of great importance.
We have also reached agreement on catch volumes and quotas for 2003, and these underpin the aim in the reform for greater sustainability. Finally, we have taken a decision on a very much-needed plan for recovery of the cod in the North Sea, “says Council President, Mariann Fischer Boel.
The most important elements of the fisheries reform are:
· A phasing out of aid for building new vessels. Aid for new building will continue until the end of 2004, but on stricter terms, where more capacity must be taken out of the fleet than is put in, with a ratio of 1:1.35 for vessels over 100 GT
· Tighter conditions concerning aid for modernising vessels. Aid can be granted for improving safety and working conditions, or improving technology for handling and sorting the catch. Modernisation may not increase the ability of the vessel to catch more fish.
· Greater importance to effort regulation in the form of limiting the number of days that fishing vessels can be at sea to fish (days at sea), so as to secure the recovery of threatened stocks.
· More effective and uniform control, including greater co-operation between Member States, and the possibility for the Commission to monitor national control efforts
· Maintaining relative stability for access to fish resources, as well as the agreements on the 12 mile fishing zone.
· Maintaining the Council’s competence to set quotas.
· Continuing aid for scrapping vessels. Money for the aid is expected to be increased by changing priorities within existing national programmes for 2003.
The agreements on catch volumes (TACs) and quotas for 2003 include reductions for those stocks in a critical condition. In particular, this means reductions for cod as well as those stocks in mixed fisheries for cod.
The plan for recovery of cod and hake includes temporary measures with a 45% reduction in the cod fishery and an upper limit to the number of days at sea. These measures apply from 1st February 2003, and until a final recovery plan comes into force from 1st July 2003. The Commission will put forward a proposal on this on 15th February, and this must be discussed and adopted by Council before the end of March 2003.
Contact information
Deputy Permanent Secretary, Morten Lautrup Larsen, tel. +45 20 84 24 00 mll@fvm.dk
Press Officer Carsten Møller Jensen, tel. +45 20 91 59 01 cmj@fvm.dk
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