The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Alain CADEC (EPP, FR) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy.
The committee recommended the European Parliament to adopt its position at first reading in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, taking over the Commission proposal.
As a reminder, the proposal seeks to empower the Commission to adopt discard plans for a further maximum period of three years in order to facilitate the implementation of the landing obligation introduced by the Common Fisheries Policy pending the adoption of regional multiannual management plans.
Experience has demonstrated that the preparation and adoption of multiannual or management plans that include discard plans takes longer than was envisaged at the time of the adoption of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.
The first Commission delegated regulations establishing discard plans entered into force on the 1 January 2015 and shall expire at the end of 2017.
To date, only the Baltic multiannual plan is in place, whereas two Commission proposals for a multiannual plan for demersals in the North Sea and for small pelagics in the Adriatic are currently under negotiation between the co-legislators.