Euro-MPs Discuss Regional Fisheries Management

12.00.00am GMT Tue 25th Nov 2003

The European Commission's blueprint for the new "Regional Advisory Councils" set up under the CFP reform came under attack in a European Parliament Fisheries Committee debate today.

Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, Elspeth Attwooll, believes that the draft proposal is weak. Commenting after the debate she stated:

"This proposal needs a lot of development. If these Councils are meant to be driven by stakeholders, why is there so little flexibility in the system? According to the proposal, there will be a total of six Councils across the EU. There is no provision to amend these or to create smaller Councils if necessary. And why is the same structure being imposed upon each Council instead of being tailored to local needs?"

"We must establish precisely what the role of the Councils is to be and how much power they will have. To be worth the considerable effort involved, they must have real teeth and adequate financing."

She concluded: "Genuine local input into fisheries policy-making is essential for the future development of the CFP. I will do my utmost through my work in the European Parliament to ensure that the final legislation reflects the demands of Scottish stakeholders."

Last December's agreement on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy included a provision for the creation of Regional Advisory Councils. Following consultation, the European Commission tabled a proposal in mid-October "establishing Regional Advisory Councils under the Common Fisheries Policy". The 6 proposed Councils cover: the North Sea, North Western waters, South Western waters, the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and Pelagic stocks. The European Parliament is expected to adopt its final report on the proposal in April 2004 and the final decision should be taken by Ministers in May.