The European Parliament (EP) today adopted (by 570 votes in favour, 9 against and 11 abstentions) a report on the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Community and Russia on cooperation in fisheries and the conservation of the living marine resources in the Baltic Sea.
The Agreement has been concluded for an initial period of six years and will not entail any changes to the current structure of the Community fleet in the Baltic Sea nor on the way shared stocks are managed.
In the report by Philippe Morillon the EP introduces, under consultation, a new article to the Commission proposal, stating that prior to the opening of negotiations on its possible renewal the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council general assessment reports analysing the impact of the agreement on the conservation of resources and the protection of the environment and the economic and social repercussions of its application.
The objective of the new Agreement is to ensure close co-operation between the EC and Russia on the basis of the principle of equitable and mutual benefit for the purpose of conservation, sustainable exploitation and management of all straddling, associated and dependent stocks in the Baltic Sea. It sets out provisions on joint management measures, licensing, compliance with conservation and management measures and other fisheries regulations, control and enforcement co-operation, inspections, arrest and detention of vessels, scientific co-operation and anadromous and catadromous species.
This new Agreement will replace the Gdansk Convention, which ceased to apply on 1 January 2007, and the existing bilateral fisheries Agreements between the Member States and the Russian Federation. Following the accession of Sweden and Finland to the Community in 1995 and Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in 2004, elements of the fisheries agreements pertaining to maritime fisheries in the Baltic Sea concluded between these countries and Russia are now managed by the EC.
To achieve the objectives of this Agreement, a Joint Baltic Sea Fisheries Committee will be established, which will act as an important forum for scientific advice on the status of fish stocks in the Baltic Sea and on fisheries management.
