Press Release

The New Skills Agenda adopted today aims to reduce the mismatch between the skills people are taught and the skills needed by the service sector and manufacturing industry. It is designed to improve the quality and relevance of skills to meet the need of a rapidly changing labour market and increase the understanding of skills and qualifications in the European labour market.

Commissioner Karmenu Vella is attending the 21st North Atlantic Fisheries Ministers Conference (NAFMC) in St Petersburg on 9th – 10th June. The theme of this year's conference is "Science and research to ensure the sustainability of marine ecosystems".

The 40th annual session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) drew to a successful close on 3 June. Decisions made in Malta are in line with the European Commission's strategy to improve the state of the Mediterranean fish stocks and the economic prospects of the fishing industry. Commissioner Karmenu Vella expressed his deep satisfaction with the outcome, which "ushers in a new era of action to help fish stocks recover and fishing communities thrive."

On June 5, the Port State Measures Agreement, a key international treaty aimed at combating illegal fishing will come into force. The Agreement, adopted and promoted by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation, allows countries to keep illegal operators out of their ports and to prevent them from landing illegal catches.

The so-called “CMO Regulation" on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products sets out the conditions for establishing and recognising professional organisations in the fishery and aquaculture sectors. It also sets their objectives, and the conditions to be met to extend the rules to non-members.

The European Commission’s long-standing commitment towards the conservation of Bluefin tuna comes to the fore again for the main fishing season of 2016.

Blue growth is here to stay, concluded the 1200 marine and maritime economy stakeholders who gathered in Turku, Finland, last week to celebrate the 9th edition of the European Maritime Days. “A sustainable marine economy is not a dream, it is a reality”, said Commissioner Karmenu Vella in the Opening Session of the conference. “Across Europe – he went on - people are working hard on innovation and pushing boundaries”. European Commission Vice-President Katainen listed a number of blue economy projects already selected for EFSI support, stressing the importance of new investments for all maritime innovations.

In a high-level joint event with the Dutch Presidency of the Council on 24 May, EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella presented progress made and obstacles that need to be addressed in further developing a sustainable aquaculture sector in the EU.

The European Commission adopted on May 18 a report on the feasibility of an EU ecolabel scheme for fishery and aquaculture products. The report analyses three options for action by the EU: reinforcing the use of existing tools; mimimum requirements set by the EU; or establishing an EU-wide ecolabel scheme. It discusses each option's feasibility, advantages and disadvantages.

The 2016 edition explores ways to unlock the full potential of Blue Growth

EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and FisheriesKarmenu Vella is travelling to Toyama to participate in the meeting of G7 Environment Ministers on 15-16 May. G7 representatives from France, Germany, Italy, the UK, the US, Japan and Canada are also attending.

World fish stocks are being depleted by overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. This threatens not only the fish, but also the coastal communities that rely on fisheries for economic survival and a dependable food source. The European Commission has worked in close cooperation with EU countries and non-EU countries to develop the FLUX standards in order to exchange fisheries information in an effective, transparent and efficient manner.

On 10 May, during its plenary session, the European Parliament voted to give its final consent to the new Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Mauritania.

Today, the European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Directive which aims at improving the working conditions for workers in the fishing sector.

Romania has officially kick-started funding under the EU's European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for the period up to 2020. The launch of the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Operational Programme 2014-2020 (POPAM) took place on 21 April in the city of Tulcea in the Danube delta.

Commissioner Karmenu Vella was invited to deliver a speech at the “Mediterranean Leadership Summit” organized by the Economist in Malta on 28 and 29 April 2016. The conference comes at a time when the countries of the Mediterranean Sea are called upon to share their vision for stability, growth and competitiveness in the region.

The 21st Session of the Fishery Committee for the Central Eastern Atlantic (CECAF) was held in Dakar, Senegal from 20 to 22 April 2016 with the participation of 23 Member countries, including the European Union, as well as observers from different regional and sub-regional fisheries organisations, cooperation agencies and NGOs. The Committee had last met in March 2012.

Many Mediterranean fish stocks are in a worrying state, with alarming consequences for income and jobs in the Mediterranean fishing sector. To highlight the need for action, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Karmenu Vella, yesterday launched the campaign #MedFish4Ever. More than 80 representatives from EU institutions, European regions, business, and NGOs gathered at the European Commission stand at the Seafood Global Expo in Brussels for the launch event.

Concerned with the steep decline of fish stocks in the Mediterranean, on 27 April Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella hosted a high level Ministerial meeting with fisheries ministers from countries bordering the Mediterranean. Nineteen out of twenty-two riparian countries were represented, as well as GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean), FAO and MEDAC (Mediterranean Advisory Council).

The EU and Canada today signed a Joint Declaration on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, sending a strong message of zero tolerance towards such criminal activities. The declaration was signed by Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, and the Canadian Minister of Fisheries Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Hunter Tootoo.