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The Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Carrying the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy forward The Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first six months of 2012 came at a crucial time in the reform process of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). As an important fishing nation and one of Europe’s biggest processors and exporters of fish products Denmark has a strong interest in sustainable fisheries. While this goal is broadly supported across Europe the devil lies in the detail. For example, transferable fishing quotas, as an instrument to create a balance between capacity and opportunity, have been introduced in Denmark, but are contentious in many Member States. During its Presidency Denmark will strive for a general approach on the CFP reform at the Council Meeting in June, says Ole Poulsen. As Head of Department, Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, he is responsible for steering the fisheries agenda under the Danish Presidency. Here he discusses the progress made with regard to the reform of the CFP. Denmark took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at a time of potentially significant reforms to the policies underlying European fisheries. What were Danish aspirations at the start of the Presidency and are they on track to be realised by the end of the Danish term in June? As an important fishing nation and a country that assigns high importance to ensuring a sustainable fishery, Denmark has from the outset viewed the CFP reform as a very import task. Our goal has been to bring the reform as much as possible forward during our Presidency and to find common ground among Member States concerning also the more difficult questions, such as discards and MSY. We have from the start realized that it would not be possible to finalize the CFP reform during the Danish Presidency, but our intention has been to reach a general approach in Council at the June Council meeting, and so far we are on track with this. The elements of the CFP reform include a ban on discards, fishing 64
Eurofish Magazine 3/ 2012
Ole Poulsen, Head of Department, Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Denmark. www.eurofishmagazine.com