OCEAN2012 Briefing: An initial reaction to the Commission’s package on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

In the face of concerted short-term economic interests, the Commission has struggled to craft a proposal that responds adequately to the issues outlined in its 2009 Green Paper. For example the proposal fails to prioritise the objective of achieving environmental sustainability as a prerequisite for achieving social and economic sustainability.The Commission claims to propose a radical reform, yet the most radical aspect of this proposal is the move towards a compulsory near-privatisation of marine resources.