I am glad to have the opportunity to advise the House on the background to the Irish Presidency's compromise proposals on fishing fleet capacity and the rationale behind them.
During the Presidency tangible success was achieved on Ireland's main priorities, notably progressing realistic conservation measures, agreement on the introduction of satellite monitoring and improved co-operation on fisheries control. The dominant issue in fisheries during the Presidency was the Commission's proposal for up to 40 per cent cuts in the European fishing fleet. These proposals were unveiled by the Commission in the weeks before we took over the Presidency. The drastic "blunt instrument" approach of the proposals made them highly controversial from the start and they were objected to strongly by virtually all member states. Moreover, in so far as the Commission's proposals would apply to Ireland's specific situation, they were totally unacceptable.
The reductions in fishing effort needed to be focused on the stocks most at risk and on the fleets overfishing those stocks. Getting the balance right between fleets and available stocks involves a wide range of factors including conservation and better enforcement. The serious socio-economic and social consequences of drastic fleet cuts over a short period also had to be addressed. It was therefore clear from the outset that the Commission's proposals did not offer a way forward and that a total impasse existed. My objective in taking a fresh look at the problem was to break this impasse which was not in the interests of the EU and certainly not in the interests of the Irish fishing industry.
Based on the outcome of discussions at the October Council, my political bilaterals with fisheries Ministers in November and intensive analysis of the complex technical issues involved, we constructed a comprehensive and radical alternative proposal aimed at delivering a rational, targeted and fair solution to the overfishing and overcapacity problem in European waters.
The key features of the Irish Presidency compromise are: reduction rates to be targeted on the critical stocks in specific fishing areas and calculated by reference to the extent to which these stocks are in trouble using the most up to date scientific assessments; an exemption for small-scale coastal fishing fleets; a choice for member states of reduction method, either fishing effort management which is known as "days at sea", capacity reductions or a combination of both; a weighted approach to calculating reductions for national fleets which means that the extent to which a fleet actually fishes the stock in trouble would be factored in; reduction targets to be set for three years followed by a mid-term review of all measures in place to protect fish stocks as well as a further scientific assessment of the state of stocks; improvements to vessels for safety purposes to be exempted when calculating capacity; no discrimination between trawlers and boats using fixed fishing gears; the decision-making process on member states' programmes to be fully transparent and verifiable; the principle of relative stability and the national entitlement to take up quotas to be observed.
The Irish proposals were welcomed by all member states as a basis for going forward and I also won a firm commitment at the December Council to an agreement by April next. By ensuring that negotiations proceed on the basis of the Irish compromise and that there would be no indefinite postponing of a decision, we got the best possible outcome from all perspectives. A firm deadline for a decision safeguards the future availability of EU funding for the fleet. The Commission has made it clear that, without a decision, Structural Funds are under threat. A decision in April will protect that funding. Intensive negotiations are now under way to finalise the decision as there are complex technical matters to be sorted out. We have created the basis for a solution and in doing so we have shaped and influenced the outcome in the best interests of the Irish fishing fleet and, overall, in the interests of the European fisheries resource.