The Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting of February will take place in Brussels on 25 and 26 February 2013, under the presidency of Mr Simon Coveney, Irish Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Eu Fisheries Commissioner, Maria Damanaki will represent the Commission on Tuesday, when Fisheries points will be dealt with.
The Council will discuss the main Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Common Fisheries Policy, proposed by the Commission in July 2011, as part of the package of proposals for a new, reformed fisheries policy for the EU.
Ministers will try to reach a general approach on the remaining parts of the Regulation, after the partial approach they agreed in June 2012 under Danish Presidency. More specifically, the Council will focus on the environmental obligations of Member States and on the ban of discards that are foreseen in the Regulation.
The objective of the reformed fisheries policy is to end overfishing and make fishing sustainable - environmentally, economically and socially. The new policy aims to:
• bring fish stocks back to sustainable levels by setting fishing opportunities based on scientific advice,
• provide EU citizens with a stable, secure and healthy food supply for the long term,
• bring new prosperity to the fishing sector, end dependence on subsidies and create new opportunities for jobs and growth in coastal areas.
The Commission will also inform ministers on the latest state of play in the negotiations between the Commission and the government of Morocco for the signing of a new Protocol under the Fisheries Partnership Agreement.
