European POs see challenging times ahead, as was made clear at the AGM of the European Association of Fish Producers Organisations (EAPO), held last week at Sopot in Poland and hosted by the organisation’s Polish membership.
EAPO members were welcomed to his Gdansk constituency by MEP Jaroslaw Walesa, vice-chairman of the fisheries committee. In his opening address he focussed on Brexit, with the view that separate legal frameworks should not lead to ending the cooperation in the fisheries sector.
Commissioner Karmenu Vella provided a video message to the EAPO membership in which he praised the POs for their role in achieving good results for the sector, mentioning particularly the POs Production and Marketing Plans and the presence of the POs in the Markets Advisory Council (MAC).
Karmenu Vella also mentioned that EU sustainability objectives are paying off, leading to a highly positive outlook for the future of European fisheries.
At the AGM Pim Visser was re-elected EAPO president. Belgian PO Reederscentrale remains in the role of EAPO secretariat with its chief executive retaining the position of EAPO’s secretary-general. Thomas Wenzel Kruse is EAPO’s treasurer and José Antonio Suarez Llanos its secretary.
‘Congratulations to our Polish members for the impeccable organisation of a successful General Assembly and the activities around it in both Sopot and Gdansk. I am grateful for the faith the EAPO membership expressed by re-electing me as their President,’ Pim Visser said.
‘At our 5th October meeting, some important decisions were taken which gives me the confidence that EAPO will continue to positively contribute to taking on the many challenges for the European fisheries sector.’
He reminded the members that the work of EAPO is about fishermen and their families and about supplying proteins for a growing population. Therefore there have been and there will be activities relating to sourcing and markets, with the key question of how to arrange this around the Common Fisheries Policy objectives (CFP) and around Brexit.
During the meeting the various EAPO Working Groups (Markets, Northern Pelagic, North Sea, North Western Waters and South Western Waters) reported on their work on TAC and quotas 2019, the regional Multi- Annual Plans and the legislative process for the Technical Measures, European Maritime and Fisheries Fund II and Control regulations.
The Markets Working Group in addition addressed the POs Production and Marketing Plans guidelines, the Autonomous Tariff Quota regulation and the potential review of the Marketing Standards regulations.
