Commissioner Joe Borg delivers speech on upcoming reform of the Common Fisheries Policy
Monday, 16 February 2009 16:51 | 
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Maritime affairs and fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg gave a speech on 10 February to the EP Fisheries Committee on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). In his speech he spoke of the need to reform the CFP saying that what is needed is ‘not reinvention and complication, but simplification and genuine, fundamental reform’.
Borg stressed the importance of coming up with a framework which is ‘fit for the 21st century’ and which takes into account the structural changes needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fishing industry, as well as one which delivers a healthy marine environment for the sector. With this in mind he also prompted the development of ecolabelling in fisheries, either as an extension of the Community Ecolabel Award scheme, or, failing this, a specific ecolabelling scheme for the fisheries sector.
The Commissioner told the Committee of the upcoming Commission Green Paper on the CFP, which analyses the current situation and sets out a very general vision for the future. Here he spoke of four key areas that should govern our long-term approach to fisheries management.
Firstly, the CFP reform should aim to be more effective, and easier to administrate. This could be achieved by allowing the decisions that need to be taken, to be made at a level closer to those people who would be affected by them, and would mean delegating more decision power to Member States, or even to the industry itself under certain circumstances.
Consequently he also sees an important part of the process to be giving the sector greater responsibility for the implementation of fisheries policy. Obviously this would include greater involvement by fishermen in the decision-making process, but as Borg points out, Regional Advisory Councils should be more involved as well.
His third intended goal then, is that there is a deeper regional dimension to the CFP, one which acknowledges ‘that our seas and fisheries are so rich because they are so diverse’. He accepts that there should be common principles that govern the fisheries industry across the EU, but that ultimately the reform must recognise that different ecosystem conditions will require different approaches and regulations.
Finally, the last objective concerns the policy’s external dimension. Changes in this respect should reflect the EU’s aim of improving global governance of seas and oceans, and should fall in line with its policies on Development and its international commitments.
Work on the Green Paper is ongoing, with the Commission expecting its adoption on 29 April.
Borg stressed the importance of coming up with a framework which is ‘fit for the 21st century’ and which takes into account the structural changes needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fishing industry, as well as one which delivers a healthy marine environment for the sector. With this in mind he also prompted the development of ecolabelling in fisheries, either as an extension of the Community Ecolabel Award scheme, or, failing this, a specific ecolabelling scheme for the fisheries sector.
The Commissioner told the Committee of the upcoming Commission Green Paper on the CFP, which analyses the current situation and sets out a very general vision for the future. Here he spoke of four key areas that should govern our long-term approach to fisheries management.
Firstly, the CFP reform should aim to be more effective, and easier to administrate. This could be achieved by allowing the decisions that need to be taken, to be made at a level closer to those people who would be affected by them, and would mean delegating more decision power to Member States, or even to the industry itself under certain circumstances.
Consequently he also sees an important part of the process to be giving the sector greater responsibility for the implementation of fisheries policy. Obviously this would include greater involvement by fishermen in the decision-making process, but as Borg points out, Regional Advisory Councils should be more involved as well.
His third intended goal then, is that there is a deeper regional dimension to the CFP, one which acknowledges ‘that our seas and fisheries are so rich because they are so diverse’. He accepts that there should be common principles that govern the fisheries industry across the EU, but that ultimately the reform must recognise that different ecosystem conditions will require different approaches and regulations.
Finally, the last objective concerns the policy’s external dimension. Changes in this respect should reflect the EU’s aim of improving global governance of seas and oceans, and should fall in line with its policies on Development and its international commitments.
Work on the Green Paper is ongoing, with the Commission expecting its adoption on 29 April.
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