Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date on fishery discussions at EU level for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55981/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The annual fishing opportunities for the Community’s fishing fleets are traditionally agreed at the December Fisheries Council. This year, the arrangements for 2013 are due to be negotiated at the Council scheduled for 18th to 20th December. The levels of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and the quotas for Ireland will be determined at that meeting following negotiations with Member States and the EU Commission. The Fisheries Council will also decide on the fishing effort, which determines days spent at sea, available for the Irish fleet in the Irish Sea and off the north-west coast for 2013.

The process of preparing for the Council is now well under way with the publication of the European Commission's detailed proposals for TACs and quotas of key stocks of interest to Ireland in October. The proposal covers stocks which are not subject to third party international agreements and are, in the main, whitefish and prawn stocks.

Since the publication of the proposal I have conducted a number of bi-laterals with the EU Commission, a number of Member States and the Irish fishing industry. I have also formally commented on the Commission proposal in advance of negotiations. I have had an assessment of the impacts of the Commission proposal through the preparation of a Sea Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment which is provided for in the Programme for Government. To facilitate and inform these deliberations, I initiated an open consultation process whereby stakeholders were asked to submit their comments and observations on the Commission proposal for fishing opportunities for 2013. From November 2nd an online web portal on www.fishingnet.ie was activated to enable the transmission of electronic submissions for consideration.

In addition, I convened a meeting of stakeholders on the 15th of November which gave a further opportunity to key stakeholders to outline their position on the many aspects of the Proposal. The Marine Institute and BIM have also undertaken an evaluation of the Commission’s proposal which is contained in the Sea Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment.

The Impact Assessment acknowledges that while many stocks in which the Irish fleet have an interest are not in a healthy biological state, there has been an improvement in 2012 on the state of the resource base in relation to pressure and state indicators.

The Commission subsequently published their Proposal for a Council Regulation fixing for 2013 the fishing opportunities available in EU waters and, to EU vessels, in certain non-EU waters for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks which are subject to international negotiations or agreements in November.

The non agreement at the Coastal States talks on mackerel, blue whiting and atlanto scandian herring aligned to the inconclusive second round of bilateral negotiations between the EU and Norway, now means that some stocks where Ireland have an interest including mackerel , horse mackerel, blue whiting, ling & saithe will be subject to provisional quotas at the December Council.

Coastal States negotiations on blue whiting and atlanto scandian herring will resume on December 14th, in London. The discussions with Norway are scheduled to reconvene in Clonakilty on the 16th January, it is expected that final quotas will be determined early in the Irish Presidency.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date on the renegotiation of the common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55982/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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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 current CFP is under review and will not now be completed during the Cypriot Presidency and accordingly will fall for delivery during the Irish Presidency of the EU.

My overarching goal for the new CFP is for a sustainable, profitable and self reliant industry that protects and enhances the social and economic fabric of rural coastal communities dependent on the seafood sector, while balancing these objectives with the need to deliver a sustainable and eco centred fisheries landscape for future generations.

Ireland's priorities include maintaining the Hague preferences, long term management of stocks, reducing and eliminating discards where possible, rebuilding stocks to Maximum Sustainable Yield and a non-mandatory system of Transferable Fishing Concessions.

The new CFP will be agreed between the European Parliament and the EU Fisheries Council under the ordinary legislative process (co-decision).

The Council of Fisheries Ministers under the Danish Presidency reached a partial general approach on the Basic CFP Regulation and the Common Organisation of the Markets (CMO) at the June Fisheries Council (12 June). This is a significant, though informal, step in the process of working towards final agreement with the European Parliament under the ordinary legislative procedure. At the October Fisheries Council, a partial general approach of the Council on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) was secured.

The European Parliament has completed its first reading of the CMO proposal and is currently conducting its first reading of the basic CFP Regulation and the EMFF proposal. It is expected that these first readings will be completed in the early part of next year.

As it now clear that adoption by 31 December 2012 will not happen, it is my intention to actively endeavour to reach agreement on the Reform package during the Irish presidency in the first half of 2013. I have recently had a series of meetings with Fisheries Ministers, Commissioner Damanaki and with key MEPs to lay the groundwork for achieving agreement.

One issue which has arisen with regard to progressing the reform is an inter-institutional one, and refers to the interpretation of Article 43 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union. Article 43.2 states that the EP and the Council in accordance with the ordinary procedure shall establish the provisions necessary for the pursuit of the objectives of the CAP and the CFP, while Article 43.3 states that the Council shall adopt measures on fixing prices, levies, aid and quantitative limitations and on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities.

The Council has sole remit to set the annual TAC/Quota regulation under article 43.3, however Multi-annual plans which are a cornerstone of the CFP reform fit within the broad parameters of being a measure necessary for the pursuit of the objectives of the CFP so are to be introduced under Article 43.2 by co-decision by EP and Council. The issue is that the treaty wording did not foresee of the overlap between the Multi Annual Plans as usually designed and the TAC setting process leaving the roles of each of the institutions in question.

I will prioritise securing final agreement between the EU Fisheries Council and the EU Parliament on the CFP during the Irish Presidency during the first half of 2013.