The centrepiece of the Fisheries Council in Luxembourg last June was a substantive debate on the Commission's Green Paper on future directions for the Common Fisheries Policy. The Green Paper was published in March 2001 and has been the subject of widespread consultation with stakeholders.
At the Council I welcomed the fact that the Commission's thinking reflected a number of Ireland's priorities, including sustainable development, the need to strengthen conservation policy and a level playing field in enforcement. I also welcomed the Commission's acknowledgement of the need for improved governance within the CFP.
In line with the position of the national CFP strategy group, however, I emphasised that the CFP must be aligned with social, regional and cohesion policies in the interests of coastal communities. The Green Paper focuses on the sustainability of resources, but I stressed that the social and economic aspects of sustainable development must also be addressed to ensure the viability of the fishing industry. The governance dimension of the CFP must take greater account of the wider objectives of accountability and transparency, and I urged the Commissioner and the Council to reflect these objectives setting new directions.
In line with the stated position of successive Governments, I reiterated Ireland's case for a more equitable share of resources. Together with several other ministerial colleagues, I took issue with the Commission's one dimensional approach to fleet over-capacity which looks for across the board cuts. Fleet policy, in addition to ensuring a balance between fishing effort and available resources, must also ensure the operational safety of fishermen and a competitive, economically sustainable fleet.
Additional InformationThe Commission is to present its formal proposals on CFP reform within the next few months. Substantive negotiations will begin under the Spanish Presidency next year culminating under the Danish Presidency towards the end of 2002. The key challenge for Ireland in the negotiating process is to influence the overall direction of much needed fundamental reform while maximising the national position in terms of our key priorities. I will be working with the support of the national strategy group to progress the Irish agenda in the forthcoming negotiations.