Conclusies Raad Visserij - Achtergronden bij nieuwe afspraken over visquota (en)

1. demersal trawls, seines or similar towed gear of mesh size equal to or greater than 100mm except for beam trawls for all areas except Kattegat and Skagerrak where this mesh size will be greater than 90mm;
2. beam trawls of mesh size equal to or greater than 80mm;
3. static demersal nets including gill nets, trammel nets and tangle nets;
4. demersal long lines;
5. demersal trawls, seines or similar towed gear of similar size between 70mm and 99mm except beam trawls with mesh size between 80 mm and 99mm for all areas except Kattegat and Skagerrak where this mesh size will be between 70mm and 89 mm;
6. demersal trawls, seines or similar towed gear of mesh size between 16mm and 31 mm except beam trawls.

However, the maximum number of days for vessels carrying on board gear described in point a) above will be 8 for West of Scotland and 10 for the Irish Sea.

A fishing day scheme has been agreed for the sole stock in the Western Channel with 20 days for the vessels concerned.

In order to encourage the use of more selective gear, vessels using mesh size of 120mm in gear described in point a) above, will receive one extra day (3 days in Skagerrak and Kattegat for gear using 120 mm mesh size combined with square mesh panels), provided that the Member States concerned develop in 2005 a system of automatic suspension of fishing licences in case of infringements and are prepared to support closed areas in waters where they are fishing and where scientific advice indicates that existing effort control measures are not sufficient to achieve recovery plan objectives.

Control and enforcement

The Commission will present as soon as possible proposals to improve control measures in relation to the recovery plan for cod. These will include the following: with regard to the obligation to land cod in designated ports, the threshold will be decreased from 2 to 1 tonne. The Commission will review the appropriate percentage of the cod landings to be inspected in such ports. Transhipment of cod at sea will be forbidden.

The Council and the Commission have declared their commitment, to developing, in 2005, measures on the issuing and withdrawal of licences and other measures to improve enforcement.

Iberian Peninsula

To reduce fishing effort on southern hake, the vessels concerned and which caught more than 5 tonnes in any of the years 2001, 2002 or 2003 will be allocated 22 days at sea. The Portuguese fleets will receive 24 days per month for 11 months with a complete month's closure.

Subject to the opinion of the European Parliament, the Council has agreed to adopt by May 2005 a recovery plan for hake and Norway lobster with an objective to recover the stocks by reducing fishing mortality gradually.

Proposal for a Council Regulation fixing for 2005 and 2006 the fishing opportunities for Community fishing vessels for certain deep-sea fish stocks, and amending Council Regulation (EC) n° 2347/2002

Concerning fishing possibilities available to Community vessels in 2005 and 2006 for deep-sea fish stocks, the following measures were decided:

There will be a 10% cut in fishing effort on the stocks concerned in 2005 on the basis of the actual effort deployed by the vessels concerned in 2003. TACs for 2005 will be reduced by 15% from the 2004 TAC, except for red seabream around the Azores and black scabbardfish in the Bay of Biscay and off the Portuguese coast which keep the same TAC. A closed area will be set up to protect orange roughy which, according to scientists, is particularly at risk. New catch limitations have been agreed for a number of deep-sea stocks not previously covered by TACs.

A number of quotas which are subject to annual negotiations with third countries (Faroes, Norway and Greenland), such as Greenland halibut, ling and greater silver smelt have been integrated in the annual TAC and quota regulation.

Commission Communication on Prospects for simplification of the Common Fisheries Policy

The Commission presented its communication aiming to simplify the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Based on discussions with representatives of the sector and the Member States, the Commission document looks at the causes of the complexity of EU fisheries legislation and identifies possible areas for further simplification. Three specific targets are being considered: improving the clarity of existing texts, their simplification and their better accessibility; reducing costs and constraints for public administrations; alleviating administrative costs and constraints for fishermen.

The Commission suggested that a consultation process with stakeholders be launched with a view to developing a multi-annual action plan as soon as possible. The Council welcomed the Commission initiative and called for the cooperation of the Member States and all those concerned in order to make the CFP easier to understand and to implement.