Nieuw EU-visserijagentschap komt in Spanje (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries unanimously agreed on Monday (14 March) to set up a European Agency for Fishery Control in Vigo, Spain.

The setting up of the Agency is the last stage of reforms started in December 2002, aimed at monitoring the EU's fishing practices and to "promote a sustainable, efficient and rational fishing policy", according to Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture Fernand Boden.

"Through the establishment of the Agency we will now have better means to monitor fisheries", said the EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Joe Borg.

The Agency is to be operational "by the end of 2006", he added.

With an annual budget of 5 million euro and 49 employees, the Agency will also have the power to perform inspections in any EU Member state as well as organising the common deployment of national fishing means.

Political wrangling

Although the establishment of the Agency in Vigo had been agreed by the Council in December 2003, the decision on the composition of its staff was delayed.

The original intention was to staff the Agency with experts from the 20 EU countries that have a coast. In the end, however, even the five landlocked countries have provided staff.

Political wrangling also ensued over the decision-making procedures of the Agency.

In the final version, each member state will have one vote, including the non-coastal states, and the European Commission will have 6 votes, two more than previously expected.

Asked about the relevance of the five non-coastal EU countries in the decision-making process of the Agency, Mr Boden said the member states in question "are neutral and objective" in this matter, and they "know this sector is important to other member states".