Newsletter - January'10

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Reform of Common Fisheries Policy

MARINET makes submission to EU Fisheries Reform public consultation — The EU has commenced a process which will lead to reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Up until now, the CFP has been determined by the Council of Ministers, with MEPs and the Parliament having no say in the matter. However, following the passing of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament is now a party in constitutional terms to the formulation of the Common Fisheries Policy. This means there there is now a wider democratic input, and the new Common Fisheries Policy will have to reflect the wishes of the European Parliament.

EU Green Paper on Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy — We provide here a copy of the European Commission's Green Paper on Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. This Green Paper is a discussion document, and the EU Commission is requesting any citizen of the EU to comment on the principles of CFP Reform before the end of December 2009 if they have matters they wish to raise. Comments should be sent to European Commission — Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries “CFP Reform”, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium or by email to: mare-cfp-consultation@ec.europa.eu

Rôle of the Common Fisheries Policy in implementing the Ecosystem Approach — We provide here a Statement by the European Commission [COM (2008)], dated 11.4. 2008, about the rôle of the Common Fisheries Policy in the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach to marine management throughout European seas.

EU Council Regulation No. 2371/2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy — We provide here the EU Council Regulation (law) which enables member states to create conservation zones in the seas over which they have jurisdiction (i.e. out 200 nautical miles) in order to protect fishing stocks and marine life. This law was enacted on 20th December 2002.

We also publish here advice dated 20th July 2009 supplied to us by the UK Government (Defra) which clarifies whether highly protected marine conservation zones (i.e. prohibition of fishing) can be established in UK seas out to 200 nautical miles under the UK Marine and Coastal Access legislation and EU Council Regulation 2371/2007.
It is interesting to note that the UK Government has never sought to implement Council Regulation 2371/2007 with respect to the establishment of conservation areas which prohibit fishing for the purpose of rebuilding fish stocks or to protect marine biodiversity.