Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The Common Fisheries Policy was reviewed in 2002 and this led to a new basic regulation that will govern EU fisheries policy until the early part of the next decade. It is not realistic, therefore, to expect a further reform process in the interim.

The 2002 reform embraced all the key areas such as access to resources, conservation, control and enforcement, structures and fleet policy. Ireland's approach to these issues was informed by an expert group consisting of representatives of the Irish fishing industry, which was chaired by Mr. Padraic White. With the benefit of this detailed input, Ireland participated actively in the reform process and the reform package finally agreed contains many of the recommendations of Ireland's national strategy review group.

The reformed Common Fisheries Policy reflects many of the concerns expressed by Ireland. These include a much stronger emphasis on stock conservation and in that regard we have since seen the introduction of recovery programmes for a number of cod stocks. Work is also under way on an action plan to address the problem of the discarding of juvenile fish catches. Other elements of the reform package include stronger control and enforcement provisions, continued recognition of Ireland's entitlements for additional quotas under the so-called "Hague Preferences" and new regional advisory councils, RACs, giving fishermen a strong voice in shaping future fisheries policy at EU level.

While it is invariably the case that any member state may wish to change a certain element of the CFP at a given time, such as a wish to get a greater share of the resource or, as Deputy Ryan pointed out, changing the methodology for catch limitations, it is necessary to deal with the overall situation in a holistic manner. The 2002 reform was successful from our viewpoint and we will participate in future reform processes in a similarly progressive fashion.

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