Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

The 3174th Council meeting on Agriculture and Fisheries held in Luxembourg on 12 June 2012 reached an agreement on a general approach on the two main regulation proposals of the common fisheries policy (CFP) reform "package":  aquaculture products (12516/11), focusing on market policy issues.
In addition the Council took note of the Presidency's progress report (10276/1/12) on a proposal for a regulation on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (17870/11) replacing the existing European Fisheries Fund.
The general approach on the main proposals of the CFP reform constitutes a political agreement within the Council on the CFP reform pending the future first-reading position of the European Parliament. With regard to the basic regulation on the CFP, the compromise supported by a majority of delegations developed proposals for several outstanding issues: Maximum sustainable yields (MSY; multiannual plans; Landing obligation and discards ban; Transferable fishing concessions (TFCs) and capacity management: as requested by many delegations, the agreement stipulates that TFC systems should be voluntary. On CMO of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products, there is a broad agreement on many issues, in particular the support to fishery and aquaculture producer organisations.