On Monday 13 September, members of OCEAN2012 handed over a petition signed by 28,500 people to Commissioner Damanaki, asking her to “put environment first for people’s sake” in the upcoming CFP reform.
Over 60 representatives of OCEAN2012 from 15 Member States met the Commissioner outside the Commission building in Brussels to hand over the signatures.
The handover was followed by a meeting with the Commissioner to discuss the future of the Common Fisheries Policy. OCEAN2012 members presented their position on environment first, the removal of harmful subsidies and the need for new access criteria in the EU, giving those using the best practices priority access to fishing grounds.
Commissioner Damanaki stated that ultimately she hopes to leave fisheries resources in a better state than she received them. She also said she wants a simpler, greener and more regional policy after 2012.