Hopes fade of early deal on fisheries cuts

Date: 14/11/1996

THREE days of intensive talks between Ireland and its EU partners have produced little to suggest that a solution to the dispute over European Commission plans to cut the size of EU fishing fleets is in sight.

In the wake of a series of bilateral meetings between Irish minister Sean Barrett and his EU counterparts last week, member state diplomats are due to meet tomorrow (15 November) to discuss a compromise response to the Commission's original plan to cut capacity by up to 40&percent; over six years.

But few hold out hope of serious progress before December. “A deal in December is still an option, but there has been so little progress since October that a lot of work will need to be done,” said one official.

The Irish have focused their efforts on obtaining answers to a number of questions of principle, rather than discussing the nitty-gritty of the extent of the cuts.

Considerable controversy was aroused within the Commission in October when officials suggested that capacity cuts could be limited to as little as 3&percent; per year over the six-year duration of the fourth Multi-Annual Guidance Programme (MAGPIV).

One alternative proposal on the table is for a three-year programme, to last until the current round of structural fund money runs out, followed by a review of the issue once the Union has sorted out financing for the first years of the next century.

Bonino has also made clear her willingness to make greater use of effort reduction measures, limiting the time vessels can remain at sea, and technical changes to fishing equipment to help protect endangered fish stocks.

But her room for manoeuvre may have been reduced by Ireland's decision to remove proposals on standardising equipment from the agenda of the next meeting of EU fisheries ministers on 22 November.

“There is a natural tie-up between the two schemes,” said an official.

A solution to the conundrum is due by the end of the year, as MAGPIV is supposed to enter into force by January. But even when overall fleet reductions have been agreed, complex negotiations will remain on the division of cuts between member states.

Speaking after his meeting with Barrett, Danish Fisheries Minister Henrik Dam Kristensen attacked countries which have failed to respect targets under existing decommissioning schemes.