Green Paper. The future of the Common Fisheries Policy, Volume II: Implementation of the Community system for fisheries and aquaculture over the period 1993-2000. Economic and social situation of coastal regions. State of the resources and their expected development

Summary:

The present report presents a general overview of the implementation of Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92, as well as an overview of the major developments in the common fisheries policy (CFP) since the last reform in 1992. Since 1992, the world of fisheries has witnessed many important changes and developments both at the European and at the global level. Fisheries policy, and the CFP in particular, is required to address problems and look for solutions under conditions which are very different from those of 10 years ago.

For example, there is much greater awareness now of the environmental dimension of fisheries. Such awareness is expressed both in legal instruments (such as Article 6 of the EC Treaty, the habitats directive, the Biodiversity Convention, etc.) and through the development and application of new concepts such as the precautionary approach or the ecosystem approach.