Press Release: European Commission urges France and Spain to agree on arrangements for experimental fishery on anchovy in the Bay of Biscay

The Commission has expressed its concern at the fact that France and Spain have not yet come to an arrangement on the way the experimental fishery on anchovy in the Bay of Biscay, decided by the Council of Fisheries Ministers in December 2006, is to be carried out. This is particularly disappointing after the Commission worked very hard at initiating, encouraging and facilitating talks between the two Member States over the past few weeks. These talks were based on the advice received from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries (STECF) on the way this fishery should be carried out. The Commission made concrete suggestions to the Parties who both agreed that an agreement had to be reached by 12 April 2007 as the fishery is due to start on 15 April. However, to date no such agreement has been reached. The Commission has written to the two Parties to urge them to come to an agreement as soon as possible so that the fishery can start, in line with the December Council Regulation.