Belgium took over EU Presidency from July 1 and till then few political decisions beside the usual TAC and quota haggling are foreseen in the work programme of it for the second half of 2010. Belgium still has a caretaker government after the former Prime Minister’s resignation last spring and the following elections in June, resulting in an even wider rift between the nation’s Flemish and French-speaking populations.
EU’s President Herman Van Rompuy is a former Belgian PM and as thoroughly experienced in working within that complicated political system, make few experts expect any glitches in the Presidency work. Till now the work programme of EU Presidency do not points out to any proposals from the Commission concerning the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy are scheduled until next spring.
The Belgian Presidency has announced to arrange a symposium to discuss improved cooperation between scientists and fishermen, “in a joint quest for sustainable fisheries”. As for the monthly Council meetings, those in October, November and December will have fisheries issues on the agenda; mainly TAC decisions.
As far as the technical measures are concern the Council failed to adopt the Commission’s proposal in November last year, no discussions will be held in the Council this autumn, but the Presidency says it will “cooperate constructively” with the European Parliament, in order to hand over a “well advanced” dossier to the Hungarian Presidency.
