On 14 March, the Commission presented a Staff Working Paper on the "Common Strategic Framework" (CSF) which sets the main investment priorities and key actions for programmes for the 2014-2020 period. 

A European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, The EU's Atlantic strategy, The port of Gothenburg: growth and the environment, TACs & quotas 2012

The Agriculture & Fisheries Council will meet in Brussels on 19 and 20 March. It will be chaired by Mrs Mette Gjerskov, Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries....

Speech by Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the Hearing at the Italian Parliament

Following the Cohesion Policy proposals of 6th October, and in order to help Member States with their preparations for the next programming period the Commission has today presented the "Common ...

Speech by Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the Hearing "the new EMFF in the view of the CFP reform" organised by European People's Party Group at the European Parliament

What did the catch composition rules intend to achieve?
The catch composition rules were put in place in 2009 to reduce fishing mortality by preventing a targeted fishery for cod, haddock, and whiting. The catches of all three stocks had substantially reduced, and they were considered to have collapsed. The rules were to allow for stocks to recover, but only the haddock stock has improved since.

The European Commission today used emergency powers, under Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 to reduce and avoid excessive discarding of haddock in the West of Scotland.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Fish Summit, London, UK

New report on-line

Baltic: a new ecosystem approach; Controls: European Union inspectors; Illegal fishing: DNA as evidence; EFF: taking stock of the territorial approach

EU intervention in inland fisheries

The Agriculture & Fisheries Council will meet in Brussels on 15 and 16 December. It will be chaired by Mr Marek Sawicki, Polish Minister for Agriculture & Rural Development....

The European Commission has proposed a new fund for the EU's maritime and fisheries policies for the period 2014-2020: the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)....

What is the EMFF? EMFF is the new financial instrument that will help deliver the growth, jobs and sustainability objectives of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and support the implementation of the EU Integrated ...

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Seminar: Renewal of the EU Fisheries Policy – minimised bycatch and ban on discards

Two recent reports by the European Commission add further weight to calls for significant structural change within the EU fish catching sector and a far reaching reform of the Common Fisheries ...

Introductory remarks by Commissioner Damanaki at the GLOBE World Oceans Day Forum, London

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Roundtable on Food at Green Week, Brussels

The Commission has conducted inspections in Italy on 17-21 May 2010, 14-18 June 2010, 4-8 April 2011 and 9-13 May 2011.

New study on-line

Modern tools for effective control, Study: women in maritime sectors, Discards: new rules on the drawing board

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the European Parliament, S&D Group Hearing : "Ways of securing the future of our  fisheries resources"

Today, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki is meeting representatives of the fishing industry and other stakeholders to discuss what can be done to stop discarding of fish. Discarding is the practice of throwing back unwanted fish to the sea.

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the European Parliament - Greens/EFA Group Hearing: "How much fish can be safely caught?"

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the Stakeholders' hearing on discards

New study on-line

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the meeting on Common Fisheries Policy at the EC Representation in Berlin, Germany

Speech by Commissioner Damanaki at the High Level Meeting on banning discards

Final report

(organised by the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament)

Issue 49 of the magazine Fisheries and aquaculture in Europe focuses on stock management: success stories

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries decided to close the bluefin tuna fishery to purse seiners in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic, due to the exhaustion of the quotas allocated to them.

What are TACs and Quotas?

Ideally, fishing activities would take from each stock no more fish than can safely be removed without inhibiting the stock's capacity to spawn and to bring in young fish to the stock.

Ministers for Fisheries meeting today in Council in Brussels have extended their support to the Commission's plans for reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.  Joe Borg, Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime affairs, welcomed the frank and open discussion held in the Council today which demonstrated the support of the Council to take courageous steps to have a real and meaningful reform of the CFP.