The Task Force delivered its findings on single stock plans on 28 November and on the 4th December the report was welcomed by the Member States. The Task Force between the European Parliament, the Council and European Commission has identified the common ground on how to develop single stock plans under the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
"I am delighted that the Committee endorsed the interim report. It is a historic step towards the co-legislators working together on multi annual plans which are crucial to the successful implementation of the new CFP. Our particular thanks goes to Struan Stevenson, Member of the European Parliament, for his constructive collaboration on this matter which has been so contentious for too long. It is our responsibility as co-legislators to try and overcome our different positions for the sustainable management of European fisheries and our fishermen," said the Chair of the Committee, Deputy Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU, ambassador Arūnas Vinčiūnas, adding that achieving progress in this inter-institutional issue was a top priority for the Lithuanian Presidency.
The Lithuanian Presidency tried to lay a firm foundation for the future work of the incoming Greek Presidency. According to ambassador Vinčiūnas, there is still a lot of work to do with multispecies and mixed fisheries plans.
The inter-institutional Task Force on multiannual plans were established following an exchange of letters between the Lithuanian Minister of Agriculture Prof Vigilijus Jukna, the Chairman of Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament Gabriel Mato, and Commissioner Maria Damanaki in July and August 2013.
Since 2009 different institutional interpretations of Article 43 of the Lisbon Treaty have led to a stalemate on progressing of any new plans or revision to existing ones. The Task Force gathered the co-legislators to the cooperative dialogue in order to come to a common understanding and find a way forward.
