§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy on the continued use of fisheries regulation 3760/92 after 2002. [119701]
§ Mr. MorleyCouncil Regulation 3760/92 is the basic framework regulation for the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and is due to be reviewed before the end of 2002. The Government are seeking to maintain highly valued features of the present arrangements, such as the national quota system based on relative stability and restrictions on access within national 6 and 12 mile limits, and believe that this will be achieved. At the same time, we will want to explore opportunities to improve the CFP to make it a more effective instrument for conserving fish stocks.