Vol. 521 No. 2
49 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the degree to which the negotiated voluntary code has been effective in preventing incidents at sea between Irish and French vessels; and if there are any further plans to negotiate a voluntary code, between the EU fishing communities. [16764/00]
The process of dialogue between representatives of the Irish and French fishing industries which was initiated 18 months ago was designed to produce agreement on the terms of a code of conduct for peaceful co-existence in shared fisheries. Considerable progress has been made but it is important that the momentum is sustained and that continued dialogue on a regular basis by our industries is kept up. I will be discussing the timeframe for a further meeting between French and Irish fisherman with my French colleague Minister Glavany at our forthcoming bilateral on 18 June.
Direct dialogue between the fishing industries of various member states operating in the same fishing grounds is important for fostering better co-operation and understanding among fishermen. I will be encouraging dialogue and discussions between the Irish industry and its EU counterparts, including Spain, in the months ahead.
