Fisheries policy: integration of environmental protection, Cardiff process

PURPOSE : to set the basis of a strategy for enhancing the integration of environmental protection requirements into the Common Fisheries Policy. CONTENT : This communication intends to set the basis of a strategy for enhancing the integration of environmental protection requirements into the Common Fisheries Policies. The strategy is to be adopted by the Council in the context of the Cardiff process to achieve the objectives of Article 6 of the Treaty. Furthermore, the communication will contribute to the forthcoming debate about the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. The document describes the current situation and underlines that, although environmental integration is to a large extent inherent in any policy concerning use of marine resources, more attention should be paid, beyond the conservation of fisheries resources of commercial importance, to the consideration of a broader context where the whole marine ecosystem(s) should be safeguarded. In order to define the main actions to be taken, this communication reviews the environmental concerns which need to be addressed, including Community commitments in the internal and international contexts. Subsequently, the objective of integration is defined as achieving a contribution from the Common Fisheries Policy towards the attainment of environmental objectives in the aquatic environment. A series of actions is proposed, classified by topics, complementing the action suggested in other Commission documents, such as the Biodiversity Action Plan for Fisheries, and followed by a suggested timetable. Lastly, it is proposed to adopt performance indicators and a revision process in order to monitor and report on the effectiveness of the strategy and, as appropriate, reinforce implementation and enforcement or review the strategy.�