The Council had a first exchange of views on the Commission Proposal for a
Council regulation laying down certain technical measures for the
conservation of fisheries resources.
There was general agreement on the necessity to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of current technical measures for the protection of juvenile
fish and spawning stocks, noting that conservation measures are an integral
part of the common fisheries policy framework. The importance of further
detailed examination to arrive at acceptable solutions at the earliest
possible date was agreed. It was agreed that the new measures must command
the confidence of the fishing industries and that they must therefore be
based on sound scientific advice, simple, readily understood and
enforceable. The importance was noted of meaningful consultation with the
fishing industry on the proposals in order to command confidence in the
measures. The Council noted the priority which the Presidency attaches to
this dossier and its intention to make substantive progress towards agreed
solutions at the Fisheries Council in November 1996.