EU Preliminary Agreement To Modernize Fishing Vessels Legislation

The European Council, led by the Maltese presidency, reached a preliminary political agreement on Thursday with the European Parliament on a draft regulation defining the specifications of fishing vessels.

The new rules repeal and recast Council regulation No 2930/86 in line with the European Union’s commitment to simplify and clarify EU law in order to make it clearer and easier to understand.

Hon. Roderick Galdes, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Animal rights welcomed the agreement and said that, “such an early agreement under the Maltese Presidency, the first of the year, confirms Malta’s commitment to the fisheries sector and is a demonstration of our determination to bring forward better regulation.”

The new regulation keeps the content of its 1986 predecessor, which was amended several times, but brings it up to date and adapts it to the current legal framework. It also grants the Commission additional powers to bring the requirements for determining continuous engine power in line with technical developments and possible changes in the international ISO standards.

The agreement still needs to be approved by the Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper). After formal endorsement by the Council, the new legislation will be submitted to the European Parliament for a vote at first reading and to the Council for final adoption.