In response to the lack of publically available information and scientific advice to support Council decisions relating to EU fishing quotas, Transparency International (TI) has made a series of proposals to help end overfishing.
Over the past 15 years, the European Council has on average set 7 out of every 10 TACs above scientific advice. TI argue that national self-interest has inhibited the sustainable management of fisheries as public goods; moreover, short-term political decisions have not lent themselves well to long-term sustainability objectives.
In order to improve outcomes and make politicians more accountable for the quota negotiations TI provide a series of recommendations. These include publishing more detailed results and minutes from Council meetings and preparatory bodies and making scientific and socio-economic evidence used for decision-making public.
TI also identifies the importance of vested interests and unregistered lobbyists who exert undue influence over negotiations. These vested groups often represent a particularly narrow range of economic interests when it comes to the management of public goods. They are currently unregulated and have no democratic accountability but in some cases are known to contribute to ministerial negotiation teams at Council meetings.