A new Danish doctoral thesis has concluded that the EU common fisheries policy is a failure that has been in a state of constant crisis since it was introduced in 1983.
On 12 May, Professor and PhD Jesper Raakjaer defended his doctoral thesis “A Fisheries Management System in Crisis – the EU Common Fisheries Policy”. It is the first doctoral thesis ever presenting a comprehensive analysis of this subject.
Jesper Raakjær is employed by Innovative Fisheries Management (IFM) at the University of Aalborg which runs a research institute located at the North Sea Science Park, where the defence takes place.
The conclusion of Jesper Raakjaer’s doctoral thesis is radical:
• The EU’s common fishery policy has been in a constant state of crisis ever since it was introduced in 1983, and the fact that is has been unsuccessful in reaching practically any of its goals leaves no option but to declare it a failure, he says. Professor Raakjaer’s analysis points out numerous reasons as to why the EU common fisheries policy never turned out successfully, the Minister's Council being the main obstacle.
• The political system has not been equal to the task of carrying out its own political decisions. All member states basically lack the will to implement fishery policy decisions in the Minister's Council as they are more focused on serving their own national interests than implementing solution to the benefit of the community. In addition to this, there is a persistent reluctance in the Minister's Council and among the member states to reform the common fishery policy, he says.
Nevertheless, Professor Raakjaer sees no alternative to the EU conducting a common fisheries policy. He is pessimistic, however, when it comes to finding a way to do this that genuinely serves the interests of the community.
