Vol. 436 No. 6
107 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for the Marine the outcome of the Council of Ministers meeting on 22 November 1993, in relation to the Common Fisheries Policy, especially the impact the decisions taken will have on the Irish fishing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The meeting to which the Deputy refers dealt with a number of matters, four of which were of particular interest to Ireland. These were a proposal for a Community wide system of licensing for fishing vessels, the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), a Commission proposal for reductions on tariffs as part of the GATT negotiations and the Review of the Iberian Accession Arrangements.
All four proposals presented particular difficulties for myself and a number of other Ministers at the Council. The only decision of relevance which emanated from the meeting in relation to these matters was that a passport/identity type licence should be agreed for all Community fishing vessels before the end of 1993. This matter, the FIFG and the proposed GATT concessions will be the subject of further discussion over the coming weeks.
With regard to the Iberian Accession Arrangements, I would draw the Deputy's attention to my reply today to the question he has tabled on this subject.
