"I wish to thank the Members of the European Parliament and more particularly Mr Gabriel Mato as rapporteur for the file, and the Council, steered by the Latvian Presidency who have worked on a consistent and constructive basis on this file. I fully trust that this agreement will be formally endorsed in the coming weeks by both institutions, thus enhancing the EU commitments in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea", said Mr Vella.

The GFCM is a Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) with 23 Member countries along with the European Union which has the authority to adopt binding recommendations for fisheries conservation and management in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and connecting waters. The new legislation consists of technical measures for the sustainable exploitation of red coral as well as for the mitigation of incidental catches of certain marine species such as sea turtles and cetaceans; it also contains a coherent framework for the recording of relevant data by fishermen and for reporting to the GFCM.