Press releases/news articles

Today the European Parliament gave support to a legislative proposal that paves the way for effective and consistent implementation of the landing obligation under the new Common Fisheries Policy. With the vote, the Parliament has endorsed the political agreement reached earlier, in negotiations between the Parliament and the Council on the Commission proposal for a so-called Omnibus Regulation.

The European Commission welcomes the positive vote of the plenary of European Parliament on the multiannual Baltic Plan, a long-term management plan which establishes targets and conservation reference points for cod, sprat and herring stocks.

The European Commission has found a Portuguese scheme aimed at promoting renewable energy technologies to be in line with EU state aid rules.

Article published by Liverpool John Moores University on 9 April 2015

Registration is open: http://fr.amiando.com/UMSC.html?page=1253736

The European Commission has today put Thailand on formal notice for not taking sufficient measures in the international fight against illegal fishing (IUU).

Today the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers has endorsed a common approach to the multiannual Baltic Plan, a long-term management plan which establishes targets and conservation reference points for stocks and promotes regionalised decision making for fisheries in the Baltic. The common approach establishes the Council position for discussions with the European Parliament.

How was sea bass managed in the EU until now? What does the common approach consist of? What will be proposed under the third part of this package? Sea bass landings are increasing from year to year, what will the Commission do to tackle this? Why are recreational anglers covered by the measures, when the commercial sector catches the lion share of sea bass? What about the longer term? What happens in January 2016, during the next spawning season of sea bass? What is the potential economic impact of a further decline of seabass?

Today the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament has voted on the multiannual Baltic Plan, a management plan adopted by the European Commission in 2014 which establishes targets and conservation reference points for stocks and promotes regionalised decision making for fisheries in the Baltic.

The Commission is advancing in achieving its marine knowledge objectives with the release of a new digital map of Europe's seabed topography with a higher resolution than had previously been publicly available; about 230 metres compared to 1 kilometre before the launch of the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet).

The conference video and report are now available on the FARNET website

The Council has adopted measures to help sea bass recover. For recreational fishing, which accounts for 25% of sea bass mortality, the decision will mean the introduction of a limit of three fish per day per angler. Learn more about sea bass with our infographic (available in English and in French).

The European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella welcomed the political agreement that the European Parliament and the Council of the EU have provisionally reached today to ensure the full implementation of the measures adopted by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)

The members of South Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) achieved important progress in the meeting held in Mauritius last week.

The EU and Greenland have reached an agreement today on a new Protocol to implement the EU-Greenland Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement, which will enter into force on 1 January 2016 for a period of 5 years.

The Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy has published a Call for Expressions of Interest to set up a list of external experts to support Cohesion Policy, regional and urban development. This particular call is interesting for experts in maritime and fisheries issues as well as those involved in the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

The first of a series of country fact sheets on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund's (EMFF) operational programmes is now available in English.

Some of the EU's best innovators and researchers are working away to explore the largely unexplored biodiversity of the sea and design ways in which to maximise their economic and scientific potential. Read more in the Online magazine.

The number of fisheries exploited by the European Union at maximum sustainable yield (MSY) levels is increasing in the East Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea.