Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 April 2004
56 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the proposals for reform of the Common Fisheries Policy he intends to bring forward during the period of the Irish EU Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10215/04]
View answerAs I have previously advised the House, under the institutional framework governing the European Union the sole responsibility for initiating proposals rests with the European Commission. Proposals for changes to the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP, are not matters on which the Presidency of the Council can seek to progress unilaterally. In any event, the CFP has only recently been reviewed. A new basic regulation was agreed at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in December 2002, following protracted and difficult negotiations.
The process leading to that reform of the CFP was a lengthy and comprehensive one. It embraced such key areas as access to resources, conservation, control and enforcement, structures and fleet policy. The reform process spanned a number of years and involved detailed consultation with stakeholders across the European Union. The new basic regulation will govern EU fisheries policy over the next decade and accordingly the question of embarking on a new review of the CFP so soon after it has been comprehensively reviewed is not a realistic prospect.
Ireland, with the benefit of detailed input from Irish fishermen, participated in the reform process in a progressive manner and the reform package finally agreed contains many of the recommendations of Ireland's national strategy review group. In that regard, I would draw the Deputy's particular attention to an action plan to address the problem of the discarding of juvenile fish catches, stronger control and enforcement, continued recognition of Ireland's entitlements for additional quotas under the so-called "Hague preferences" and new regional advisory councils giving fishermen a strong voice in shaping future fisheries policy at EU level. The regional advisory councils are considered a particular priority and we hope to have agreement on this issue during the course of Ireland's EU Presidency.
