§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his policy towards the establishment of a general fisheries commission for the Mediterranean; if Her Majesty's Government will be represented; if the Government of Gibraltar will be represented; what voting arrangements will apply; what costs are involved; what manner of external donations towards running costs are permitted; and what is the nature of European Commission involvement. [134207]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Government support the establishment of appropriate Regional Fisheries Organisations (RFOs) and encourages their application of the principles in the United Nations Fisheries Agreement.
Although the UK has no fishing interests in the Mediterranean it will be involved in the usual way in the preparation and co-ordination of an EU position in relation to the activities of the General Fisheries 183W Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). As with other RFOs, it will then be for the Commission to negotiate on behalf of the EU.
Gibraltar is not represented in the GFCM as it does not have a domestic fleet which would be affected by the work of the Commission which concerns stocks in international waters in the Mediterranean.
Each member of the GFCM has one vote. The EU Commission is entitled to use the number of votes equal to the number of member states entitled to vote. The GFCM is currently funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN. Agreement has been reached on the need to establish an autonomous budget for the Commission.
Discussions continues on how contributions should be determined. Once the autonomous budget has been ratified the GFCM will be able to accept voluntary contributions offered either for the general run of its activities or for specific projects.