Press Release: Fisheries: Commission proposes a simpler approach to technical measures

On 4 June, 2008, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Council regulation on technical measures to promote the conservation of fish stocks, to reduce discards and protect vulnerable marine habitats in EU waters outside the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of the regulation was to lay down the general principles underlying all technical measures in these waters, together with a small number of specific measures which will be permanently applicable in all areas. More specific rules which need to be adapted to local conditions will then be laid down in a series of Commission regulations, corresponding to the fisheries covered by the Regional Advisory Councils concerned. This approach should lead not only to a clearer and simpler technical framework for EU fisheries, but also to one which is better adapted to different ecosystems and more responsive to input from stakeholders.