"Following intensive discussions and negotiations in trilogues over the last three months, the European Parliament and the Council have today reached a political agreement on the Commission’s proposal on the Sustainable Management of the External Fishing Fleets. Today's agreement shows that the European Union is a responsible and major global actor ensuring sustainable fishing by EU fleets beyond EU waters.

This new Regulation sets strict eligibility criteria to fish outside Union waters and puts in place a comprehensive system of fishing authorisations. The new rules also tackle abusive reflagging, chartering and transhipment activities. They will significantly increase transparency by creating a public register for fishing authorisations.

The newly adopted rules will help improve international ocean governance and the fight against IUU fishing. This development is a positive signpost on the way towards the Our Ocean conference in Malta on 5-6 October, underlining, as it does, the EU's capacity to deliver."