With a commitment to ”stick to” the Baltic cod management plan, and praising the Baltic Sea RAC cooperation as “excellent”, Fisheries Commissioner designate Maria Damanaki made an overall headstrong and competent impression in her European Parliament hearing.
While holding forth the BS Regional Advisory Council as a good example of cooperation from the Commission’s perspective, she added that she hoped to “soon” introduce a program on pelagic fisheries in the Baltic Sea.
With her background as a PASOK (Socialist) Greek Parliament member mainly responsible for coordinating education and culture issues for her party group, Ms. Damanaki had little previous experience of, and even less time to dig into, fisheries issues.
Few questions from members of the EP Fisheries Committee seemed to shake her, however, and she plainly made clear that she would not budge on the commitment to reform the Common Fisheries Policy in a more sustainable direction.
On the subject of regionalisation – of the decision-making process – she conceded that some decisions should be brought down to a lower level, but stressed that she was “not talking of re-nationalisation”. Ms. Damanaki several times reiterated her emphasis of what she called “The ‘common’ aspect” of the Common Fisheries Policy.
All in all, she said in her introductory remarks that the CFP reform would naturally be a central focus of her work, stressing the keywords “sustainability”, “democratic responsibility for all partners of the sector”, “global dimension” and “compliance”.
She explained that she will seek to streamline and make the CFP more efficient, by “striking the right balance” among the interests of consumers, fishermen, industry, tourism and related activities. Reminded of the possible negative social impacts of the reform, Ms. Damanaki said that she would examine whether the European Social Fund could give assistance to those who may have to stop to work because of the reform. She added that she would try to ensure that older fishermen continue fishing, while younger ones are redirected to other professions through retraining.
Ms. Damanaki agreed with Isabella Lövin, a Swedish Green MEP and fisheries specialist, that there is “drastic” overfishing resulting from fleet overcapacity. To reduce it without striking a blow to fishing communities, resources should be directed to modernisation in terms of equipping vessels with selective gear that helps to eliminate discards.
She stressed, however, at several points in the hearing that “we need a tailor-made approach to different sea basins and fisheries”.
Following the resignation of Bulgaria’s designated Aid Commissioner Rumiana Jeleva, the European Parliament vote on the Barroso II Commission, originally scheduled for Jan.26, was pushed back to February 9.