ESTONIA
Estonia takes over the presidency of the EU Council for the ďŹ rst time
Finding the right compromises is crucial The rotating 6-month presidency of the Council of the EU falls to Estonia from July 2017. The Council, along with the European Parliament, is the main decision-making body of the EU, where ministers from EU countries meet to discuss and amend laws and coordinate policies. The presidency of the Council plans and chairs meetings in the Council and represents the Council in relation with other EU institutions such as the Commission and the European Parliament. Siim Kiisler, Minister of the Environment, is in charge of the ďŹ sheries under the Estonian presidency and outlines here some of his priorities.
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dministration of the fisheries sector in Estonia is divided between two ministries. Fish stocks, habitats, and quotas are the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment, while commercial fishing, catches, and fish as food belong to the Ministry of Rural Affairs. Both ministries are also represented on the European Union`s Agriculture and Fisheries Council depending on the topics to be discussed. In the case of the presidency, because it falls in the second half of the year, when fishing opportunities (a Ministry of Environment competency) for the following year are negotiated, it was decided that the Ministry of Environment would be chiefly responsible for the fisheries topics under the presidency.
Keeping the goal of MSY for all fisheries on track Essentially, during the presidency Estonia will be responsible for EU and international negotiations, where it must strive to achieve compromises acceptable to all the stakeholders, says Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment. The target of the negotiations, ultimately, is the effective implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy ensuring, in particular, that maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for all EU fisheries is achieved as 36
envisaged by 2020. If MSY has to be achieved in 2020, then quotas will probably have to be cut, feels Mr Kiisler, which for the concerned Member States is difficult in the short term. As a Member State we feel it ourselves, with regard to salmon for example, but now we are sitting on the other side of the table and need to play the role of honest brokers. But I understand already how complicated it is. Nobody will like the proposal, and finally a compromise will have to be found that will still allow us to reach MSY after two years. There are three priorities in terms of fishing opportunities for 2018 that are waiting for the Commission’s proposals. Baltic Sea fishing opportunities which are estimated to be ready for adoption in October; Black Sea fishing opportunities, which should be ready for adoption in December; and then the main Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and quotas file, which too is estimated to be adopted in December. In terms of the multi-annual plans there are again several files, in which the Estonian presidency will be involved. For example, there is the North Sea management plan, which has reached the trilogue stage negotiation between the Commission, Parliament, and the Council of the EU. This is also a multi-stock management plan
Siim Kiisler, Minister of Environment, is in charge of fisheries during Estonia’s presidency of the EU Council.
covering different ground fish and flat fish species. Then there is the Western Mediterranean plan, where a proposal is awaited from the Commission; the Baltic Sea salmon plan, and the Adriatic Sea plan for pelagics.
Proposal for salmon in the Baltic is being dusted off In addition, Baltic salmon, which started as a Commission
proposal in 2011, but which subsequently moved off the radar, is being resurrected. The objective of the plan is to restore salmon populations and maintain them at sustainable levels as well as introduce protective measures. The plan is to update the 2011 proposal from the Commission, and during its presidency Estonia hopes to have discussions in working groups and prepare for a common understanding. For Estonia the salmon fishery
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