Commissioner Damanaki met representatives of Europêche, the Association of National Organisations of Fishery Enterprises in the European Union, to listen their views on the main issues of the proposals for the reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy.
Commissioner Damanaki highlighted that “we need a regionalised implementation process, where stakeholders get a possibility for input and the policy-makers can finally use their expertise.” She referred to the example of discards: “We need a clear commitment to end discarding with a fixed timeline; once we have this, the fishing industry – together with other stakeholders and the Member States – can find the best solutions fishery by fishery, in a regionalised approach.”
Commissioner Damanaki then underlined that “If we manage to bring back European fisheries on to the sustainability track soon, and if we ensure a better balance between capacity and resources, this will benefit the industry – and economic success is a pre-condition for securing the future of jobs.” And she added: “I am very well aware that these policies need a stimulus and that is why in the proposed European Maritime and Fisheries Fund we want to promote this transition”.
