Spain calls for certainty from European Commission in setting final fishing quotas with United Kingdom for 2021

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, chaired the Advisory Councils on Agricultural Policy and Fisheries Policy for EU Affairs, with the participation of the regional councillors, to analyse the issues to be addressed at the European Union Agriculture and Fisheries Council, which will take place by video-conference next week.

In relation to the effects of Brexit on the fisheries sector, Luis Planas stated that the European Union now faces the task of reaching an agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) on the final setting of Total Allowable Catches (TAC) for 2021, and for 2022 in the case of deep water species, for shared stocks. He called for certainty and speed in these negotiations.

Given the large number of shared stocks with the UK, the proposal that was finally adopted by the Council in December 2020 was an advance of the provisional quota to 31 March, of 25%. These stocks mainly include such pelagic species as horse mackerel, mackerel and blue whiting.

The minister said he would ask the Commission to develop talks with the UK as quickly as possible, in order to reach an agreement on establishing the TAC for those shared species and see what amount of catches will correspond to each party.

In this regard, the minister stressed that Spain will work to forge the greatest possible collaboration between the European Commission and the Council, both at a political and a technical level, in the development of negotiations and the positioning of the European Union in this process

He will also convey to the Commission that it should assess all the circumstances that take place in each of the fisheries to set the TAC, respecting all the pillars of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Agricultural policy

As regards agricultural issues, the minister stated that the Portuguese Rotating Presidency will present the European Council with its work programme. Its goals, which Spain shares, include finalising negotiations on the three regulations on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) through an institutional agreement between the European Council, Commission and Parliament.

In the case of Spain, the minister reported that there will be a sector meeting on the CAP with the regional governments in May. "It is important to prepare a consolidated text" on the strategy to apply that is of interest to the Spanish regions.

According to the minister, Spain will advocate maintaining the agreement reached at the Council meeting in Luxembourg, which contains the targets proposed by our country, since this provides the right balance between a greater environmental and climate ambition in the CAP and the socio-economic targets of this policy, and also incorporates sufficient elements of flexibility to guarantee its optimal application.

In addition, the Commission will review the state of the situation of the trade negotiations under way. In this regard, Spain advocates the need for global trade to function well based on rules, without barriers to free trade, but which satisfy the demands of European consumers on such matters as health, environmental protection and the well-being of animals.

Non official translation