Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy: outcome of stakeholder conference to feed into ministers' debate

On May 2 and 3, over 230 stakeholders took part in a broad conference on the future reform of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to EC.

Participants from all sides with an interest in fisheries (Member State administrations, RAC's and ACFA, industry, NGO's, members of the European Parliament or representatives of the main EU institutions) gathered in La Coruna, Spain, to discuss the main pillars of the reform. The Conference, which was co-hosted by the Spanish Presidency and the Commission, was held just before the informal Council of Fisheries Ministers to take place today and tomorrow in Vigo as the Conference reflection will directly feed the Ministers' discussion. The conference allowed the Commission and the Spanish Presidency to get an insight of the general orientations of each party and of the most controversial issues, and an overview of the directions that the debate should take in the coming months. At the Informal Council in Vigo, Commissioner Maria Damanaki will present this overview and will ask the Member States' Ministers to express their governments' views on each of the topics addressed so far.