Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the timeframe for the completion of the common fisheries policy review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3885/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the fisheries policy of the European Union which was first put in place in 1983 and has been subject to reviews every 10 years, the most recent was in 2002 and the next is formally scheduled for 2012.

On 21 April 2009 the European Commission published a Green Paper on the latest reform of the CFP in order to launch a consultation with Member States and stakeholders and to initiate a broad public debate on the future CFP reform.

I welcome the Commission's Green Paper and acknowledge the importance of the process we are embarking on, as it will culminate in the shaping of the strategic blueprint for the European fishing industry for the next decade.

Back in May, Minister Killeen appointed Dr. Noel Cawley to oversee consultations with Irish stakeholders on the reform of the CFP. Advertisements were placed in national and relevant fishing newspapers seeking submissions from interested parties for review by Dr. Cawley. Minister Killeen, Dr. Cawley and my Department have been involved in a series of consultations with various fishing organisations around the country over the last few months, in an effort to formulate Ireland's national position.

All of the submissions received by Dr. Noel Cawley have now been evaluated in order to compile a detailed and informed submission to the EU Commission. Dr. Cawley is currently in the process of finalising the wording of this document with Minister Killeen and aims to submit a final version to Minister Killeen for approval and onward transmission to the EU Commission within the next fortnight.

Under the planned EU timetable for the review, a summary of the consultation process will be published in 2010. It will be followed by a legislative proposal to the Council and the European Parliament to be adopted in 2011, with a view to its entering into force in 2012.