§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 22 April 1998,Official Report, column 666, if he will make a statement on the input national Governments will have into the Common Fisheries Policy after 2002. [40482]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Council of Ministers will decide, by qualified majority voting, on the continuation of restrictions on access within Member States' 6 and 12 mile limits, and on any necessary adjustments to the basic Regulation on the Common Fisheries Policy.
§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions on(a) coastal zonal committees and (b) the recent proposals of the NFFO and 421W SSF relating to the European fisheries regime after the year 2002, took place at his meeting with the NFFO on 18 February. [40477]
§ Mr. MorleyMy meeting with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations on 18 February concerned salmon net fisheries; neither coastal zonal committees nor the future of the Common Fisheries Policy after 2002 was discussed. These issues were discussed during a meeting with both the NFFO and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation on 30 April.
§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensure that European Commission Council regulations which designate fishing waters as a common resource are repealed. [40480]
§ Mr. MorleyThe basic Regulation on the Common Fisheries Policy, Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3760/92, defines Community fishing waters as the waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Member States. The same Regulation defines restrictions on access to waters and the fish resources in those waters. These include the rules applicable within 6 and 12 mile limits and the system of quotas and relative stability. The Government do not support repeal of any of these provisions.