Eight member states have jointly declared that they want to maintain a strong financial instrument for the fisheries sector after 2013.

The joint declaration was signed by Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. EU Fisheries ministers discussed the declaration at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting on 28 June.

The signatories appeal “for greater consideration of the needs of the Member States that joined the EU since 2004, and therefore were not able to fully benefit from the EU funds available before that date.”

Recently, six other member states (France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Belgium) signed a similar declaration, calling for a strong financial instrument.

This means that 14 Member States out of 27 now have declared that they want to maintain strong fisheries subsidies post-2013.

Axel Naver

Link: Download the joint declaration.

•