Press Release: Joe Borg: developing a culture of compliance is key to sustainable and equitable fisheries

Developing a culture of compliance throughout the chain of activities related to fisheries from the fisherman to the consumer is the surest way of delivering sustainable and equitable fisheries in Europe. This was the message that Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs delivered on 18 Febraury, 2008, at an informal Council on Control of fisheries activities, organised by the Slovenian Presidency of the European Union. At the meeting, Commissioner Joe Borg presented his analysis of the serious shortcomings of the current system which have also been noted in a recent report by the European Court of Auditors. He also outlined his vision for an in-depth reform that would encourage honest operators to abide by the agreed measures and effectively deter would-be rule breakers through better detection of infringements and stiff penalties. Today's discussions were intended to feed into the Commission's proposal for such a reform. Under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), control and enforcement of agreed rules are the responsibility of Member States.