Email page

News online

Change low graphic options | Skip content to navigation

Page context: ETF Home > News online

The ETF Fisheries Section has its say on the Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

3 February 2010

In April 2009 the European Commission launched a consultation to gather stakeholders’ opinions on the new edition of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which will have to enter into force in 2013. The first round of the consultation, marked by the publication of a Green Paper, ended in December 2009.

At the moment the Commission is examining the contributions received in order to prepare a policy proposal, to be adopted in the course of 2010. The ETF Fisheries Section is actively taking part in the debates held around the said consultation. An extensive internal discussion was held as of April 2009, which was reported in the ETF response to the consultation – available hereunder in EN/FR/ES - as well as in inputs included in papers issued by the various bodies (ACFA, Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee, RACs) where the ETF is involved.

With a view to hold a bilateral debate on the most crucial issues at stake, ETF and DG MARE organised a seminar on “CFP Reform: towards a mainstreaming of the social dimension?”. The seminar’s programme and pictures can be found here.
Further bilateral meetings between the ETF and the Commission, focussing on specific issues are to be organised all along the reform-making process.

The main claim of the ETF to the Commission is to make the Common Fisheries Policy more socially sustainable. Continuing along on the path opened up through the TRUST project, the ETF affirms that combining in a balanced way social, environmental and economic concerns in the CFP represents the only way out from the current situation. The previous versions of the CFP have simply ignored the social dimension of fisheries, with the result that crucial issues such as training, qualification, safety, and in general working and living conditions of employed fishermen have not been dealt with in an integrated way. The revamp of the CFP should be seen as an occasion to re-launch the debate and take actions at both European and national level, to stress in particular on the need to promote social dialogue and collective bargaining agreements in fisheries, and improve working and living conditions of those who make their living in fisheries.

The full text of the ETF position is available as a related document below.
Printed versions of the document can be requested at l.spera@etf-europe.org

More information on the CFP reform is available on the DG MARE’s website:http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/reform/index_en.htm

Email page

Print this page

Back to current news online stories

Section home:
News online

Gender Equality | EWCs

About us/contact | Vacancies | Links

Full graphics version

accessibility | site help | site map

Galerie AGORA, Rue du Marché aux Herbes 105, Boîte 11 B - 1000 Bruxelles | +32 2 285 46 60 | etf@etf-europe.org