Three Member States Fail To Accept Fisheries Protocol

摘要

Though time is starting to run out, EU fisheries ministers were unable, during the meeting on 24 June in Luxembourg, to give their definitive approval to the new protocol negotiated by the European Commission with Mauritania in the framework of the fisheries partnership and which should come into force on 1 August 2008. Three member states the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Spain - expressed reservations regarding the planned distribution of quotas. The new protocol, applicable from 1 August 2008 to 31 July 2012, was signed on 13 March 2008 and should be formalised in July at the latest. The Council took note of the state of the dossier. Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg reiterated that the Community negotiated the terms of the fisheries protocol because Community ships had not used all of the fishing possibilities available to them through the agreement in force, therefore challenging its economic and financial advantages.