Yesterday evening, a decision in the EP Fisheries Committee finally settled the heated debate about the allocation of reports for the different parts of the CFP reform package. In the end, the different party groups were each given a piece of the cake.
Despite a number of earlier attempts, the Fisheries Committee (PECH) has been unable to come to an agreement about the allocation of the different reports among the EU Parliamentary Party groups before this week. An early bid was made by the three main Party groups (EPP, ECR and ALDE), who made a deal ahead of the coordinators meeting on 13 July to divide all six reports between them. This, however, caused furore and was contested by the other Party groups. After lengthy negotiations, yesterday’s decision gives the different Party groups a more equal share.
- The overarching communication on CFP reform (COM(2011)417) went to Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD);
- The proposal for a new basic Regulation (COM(2011)425) went to the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the rapporteur will most likely beUlrike Rodust,Germany;
- The proposal for a new regulation for the Common Market Organisation (COM(2011)416) went to the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Struan Stevenson, United Kingdom, looks like a likely candidate for writing the EP report;
- The communication on the External dimension (COM(2011)424) will be dealt with by the Greens/European Free Alliance (EFA) and the rapporteur will be Isabella Lövin fromSweden;
- TheAllianceof Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) will be rapporteur for the Commission’s report on access to waters (COM(2011)418), and it might be Carl Haglund fromFinlandwho takes this on;
- The proposal for a new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (which is expected to come out in November) was allocated to the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP); and
- Finally, the European United Left-Nordic Green Left will write an “own initiative report” on small-scale fisheries and the reform.
The division of responsibilities for reports in the European Parliament is formally dealt with in the respective Committee, during meetings with the different Party coordinators. For the Fisheries Committee, the coordinators are: Ulrike Rodust, Germany, for S&D; Marek Józef Gróbarczyk, Poland, for ECR; Pat the Cope Gallagher, Ireland, for ALDE; Isabella Lövin, Sweden, for the Greens/EFA; Antonella Antinoro, Italy, for EPP; Nigel Farage, United Kingdom, for EFD; and João Ferreira, Portugal for the United Left-Nordic Green Left.
A decision was also expected yesterday on the rapporteur for the proposal for a multiannual plan for Baltic salmon (COM(2011)470), but this was postponed and will most likely be dealt with during the next coordinators meeting in the second week of October. It looks, however, as if this will be going to Marek Józef Gróbarczyk and the ECR.