APPENDIX 3: CALL FOR EVIDENCE
Introduction
The House of Lords European Union Committee will
be conducting an Inquiry, via its Environment and Agriculture
Sub-Committee (Sub-Committee D), that aims to review the progress
of the Common Fisheries Policy since it was reformed in 2002.
The Inquiry has been motivated by a recognition that
the objectives of the 2002 CFP Reform—i.e. "to provide
for sustainable exploitation of living aquatic resources and of
aquaculture in the context of sustainable development, taking
account of the environmental, economic and social aspects in a
balanced manner"—have not been fully achieved. There
is consequently a need to review that reform within the context
of a number of initiatives at the EU and domestic levels.
Among those initiatives are the 2007 Communications
from the Commission relating to discards, bycatch and rights-based
management[43], the European
Commission proposal for a Regulation on IUU (Illegal, Undeclared
and Unregulated) fishing[44],
the forthcoming European Commission proposal to modernise and
recast the Control Regulation, broader discussions as regards
a review of the CFP and decisions on marine legislation at the
domestic and EU level.
The purpose of the Committee's inquiry is to assess
the application of the 2002 reform, within the context outlined
above, looking at where the reform has been demonstrated to be
successful and identifying weaknesses.
In light of the evidence taken, the Committee's intention
is that such an assessment and any recommendations emerging from
it should feed into EU and domestic debates on future reform of
the CFP and on relevant domestic legislation.
The issues
Against this background, the Committee hereby invites
you to submit written evidence to the Inquiry. The Committee would
find it helpful if, in addition to any general issues you may
wish to raise, you would focus on a number of specific issues.
It is recognised that those submitting evidence will not necessarily
have an interest in all the questions and may therefore wish to
be selective. The issues are:
Conservation/Management
1. Chapter II of Regulation 2371/2002 on the conservation
and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the
Common Fisheries Policy[45]
introduced new methods of ensuring conservation and sustainability,
including recovery plans, management plans and emergency measures.
To what extent have these been effective?
2. A wide range of management tools are available
to fisheries managers. What are your views on the following tools:
- Total Allowable Catches
- Effort limitation, including "days at sea",
marine conservation areas and real-time closures
- Rights-Based Management tools
- Technical Conservation Measures
3. To what extent have current management tools increased
the levels of discards and bycatch? What is your view on how these
problems can best be tackled?
4. Do you consider that fisheries management policies
may need to adapt to climate change? If so, how might this be
achieved?
Control and Enforcement
5. Chapter V of Regulation 2371/2002 lays down the
responsibilities of the Member States and the Commission as regards
the control and enforcement of the rules of the Common Fisheries
Policy. The recent Court of Auditors Report on the control, inspection
and sanctions systems relating to the rules on conservation of
Community fisheries resources was very sceptical of the systems
currently in place. What is your view of the efficacy of the systems
in place? To what extent has the Community Fisheries Control Agency
already assisted in improving matters?
6. The European Commission has regularly highlighted
how serious infringements of the CFP are penalised differently
across the Community. This was a matter that was also raised by
the Court of Auditors[46]
and sanctions were included in the recent Commission Proposal
in IUU fishing. What is your view on the issue?
Structural Policy
7. Chapter III of Regulation 2371/2002 obliged Member
States to put in place measures to adjust the capacity of their
fleets in order to achieve a stable and enduring balance between
such fishing capacity and their fishing opportunities. To what
extent has this been successful?
8. The new fisheries structural fund, the European
Fisheries Fund (EFF), has now come into force. What has been your
experience thus far with the new instrument?
9. What are your views on the possible impact on
EU fisheries structural policy of WTO-level discussions as regards
subsidies in the fishing sector?
Governance
10. As a result of Regulation 2371/2002, Regional
Advisory Councils (RACs) were established to advise the Commission
on matters of fisheries management in respect of certain sea areas
or fishing zones. What is your assessment of the success thus
far of the RACs? What is your view on their future evolution?
11. How do you consider EU fisheries should ideally
be governed? How appropriate and feasible do you consider a regional
management model to be?
43 Communication on A policy to reduce unwanted by-catches
and eliminate discards in European fisheries, COM (2007) 136,
28.03.2007 and Communication on rights-based management tools
in fisheries, COM (2007) 73, 26.02.2007 Back
44
COM (2007) 602, 17.10.2007 Back
45
Council Regulation (EC) 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation
and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the
Common Fisheries Policy (OJ L 358 31.12.2002 p. 59-80) Back
46
European Court of Auditors, Special Report 7/2007 on the control
inspection and sanctions systems relating to the rules on conservation
of Community fisheries resources. Back
| 
