July 1st, 2023

New fisheries control rules must be proportionate, harmonised and workable

Next Tuesday, 27 June, the European Parliament Committee on Fisheries will vote the political agreement reached three weeks ago with the Council of the EU. The fishing industry represented by EAPO and Europêche reiterate their appreciation for the work invested over the past few years by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the Member States to make the Commission’s proposal on new control rules more flexible and closer to the fisheries reality. As it was the case with the previous regime, once adopted, the sector will aim to comply with the new control system and will cooperate to make it operational. However, the sector requests transparency and involvement in the process and methodology to implement the new control devices on the different fleets. Fishers’ representatives remind that these new technological appliances will not solve the problems created by Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) elements such as the Landing Obligation for which several times a revision has been requested. Such revision should refocus on optimum selectivity and maximum avoidance of unwanted catches without enforcing the unworkable.

Press release