§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the enlargement of the EU on the viability of fish stocks in the North sea; [30372]
(2) if he will make a statement on the measures under consideration to conserve pressure fish stocks in EU waters during the current negotiations leading to enlargement of the EU. [30371]
§ Mr. BaldryNegotiations for the further enlargement of the European Union are not scheduled to start until after the conclusion of the intergovernmental conference. Any impact on fish stocks will depend on a number of factors including the terms and timing of accession by the countries concerned, developments in the industry and developments in fisheries policy within the European Union where measures currently under consideration to conserve stocks include further reduction in fishing effort, new technical conservation rules and improved enforcement measures.