The European Parliament adopted by 642 votes to 27, with 37 abstentions, a legislative resolution of the European Parliament on the draft Council decision on the acceptance, on behalf of the European Union, of the amended Agreement for the establishment of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).
The European Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the amended Agreement.
The GFCM is a so-called Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO), with the aim of promoting the development, conservation, rational management and best utilisation of living marine resources, as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
The amendment approved at the GFCM 38 Annual Session on 19-24 May 2014 revised the structure and content of the current one, so as to bring it in line with modern RFMO instruments.
Main changes introduced are as follows:
· the new Agreement sets a clear overall objective of biological, social, economic and environmental sustainability of living marine resources. It also introduces definitions of the terms that are necessary for the correct interpretation of the Agreement;
· better defined functions of the GFCM, which include the promotion of common fishery management through multiannual management plans, the establishment of fisheries restricted areas, and the collection and dissemination of data;
· the amendment includes provisions for the establishment of measures/sanctions to address non-compliance by Members/non-Members;
· the establishment of a well-defined dispute settlement mechanism in case disputes arise between Contracting Parties.