Commission welcomes vote of European Parliament supporting its proposal for a new Common Fisheries Policy

Strasbourg, 7-2-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission welcomes today’s vote of the European Parliament on the Commission’s proposal for a new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). With this vote the Parliament is paving the way for negotiations with the Council with a view to concluding an agreement on the new policy.

Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki stated: “The European Parliament has supported with a broad majority an ambitious reform of the CFP by endorsing the approach put forward by the Commission. I welcome the vote and I am especially pleased with the Parliament’s support for a policy that is based on exploiting fisheries resources sustainably (according to the principle of Maximum Sustainable Yield from 2015), a policy that introduces a discard ban with clear dates to put an end to wasteful practices that we can no longer afford. I would like to congratulate the Parliament on this success and I am looking forward to the work that the Council and the Parliament will soon start to ensure the adoption of the reform of the CFP. ”

The 2011 proposal for the reform of the CFP aims to create the conditions for EU fishing fleets to be economically viable and to promote EU aquaculture, for the benefit of the communities that depend on these activities as well as for the benefit of consumers. The Commission’s proposal to reform the basic rules of the Common Fisheries Policy is based on sustainability. Fisheries management should allow all stocks to be rebuilt to healthy levels that will maximise catches for fishermen. The wasteful practice of discarding perfectly edible fish must be gradually stopped with clear obligations and deadlines, allowing fishermen the time to adapt. Decisions on fisheries management must be taken with the involvement of fishermen and stakeholders, and must take into account the specificities of the sea basins.

See also: Memo/13/72

More information on Common Fisheries Policy reform: http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/reform/proposals/index_en.htm