Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-01-17-Speech-4-038"
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"en.20020117.2.4-038"2
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"Mr President, I wish to begin by welcoming the report and congratulating the rapporteur. I think we all recognise the tremendous difficulty involved in coming forward with this report. There are probably things in it that not everyone likes. However, in the circumstances it is probably the best that could be achieved as we try to reform the CFP.
We have to ask ourselves what the European Union wants to achieve in reforming of the common fisheries policy. The one thing we can say for certain is that the present common fisheries policy is not one of the best-loved policies of the Union, and there is certainly no guarantee that future changes will endear any future policy to the industry, especially given the pressure on fish stocks and the differing views of scientists and fishermen.
However, the opportunity is there to be seized and we have to ask whether we can get things right this time. Can we achieve a proper balance? Are we in a position to respond to the needs of the industry and respond in time? The problems of the industry have built up a great degree of resentment. We have heard here today that there are those who would love to scrap the common fisheries policy and hand it back to national and regional governments. That will not put any more fish in the sea or solve any more problems. Fish are migratory: they do not stay in one place all the time, year after year.
So while such a move sounds easy – and to some it sounds very good – we have to ask a number of questions. Would renationalisation mean any more fish? I do not think so. Would it mean more financial support? I would suggest that it might result in even less financial support to the industry, and markets would not improve. So we have to find an acceptable position.
I have to say bluntly to the Commission that if it cannot get the policy right in the next four to five years, then it will be forced to hand it back to national governments. We have an opportunity to get it right. The Commission has to involve local fishermen, local areas and local people if it really wants to get it right. I would certainly support that – but there has to be meaningful consultation."@en1
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