§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) in the event that advice on aspects of fisheries management is devolved to regional advisory councils, with which EU member states the Government intends to co-operate in establishing these RACs; and what range of stakeholders she envisages holding membership of them; [64511]
(2) whether she supports the policy of devolving advice on all aspects of fisheries management to regional advisory councils; and which fishing zones she has identified where such RACs can operate. [64512]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Commission's proposals for the establishment of regional advisory councils envisage that they would have the following functions:
- (a) to submit suggestions, of their own accord or at the request of the Commission or a member state, on matters relating to fisheries management to the Commission of the member states concerned:
- (b)to give opinions on Commission or member state proposals for fisheries management;
- (c) to comment on and recommend improvements in the application of Community legislation.
The UK is supportive of the general principle behind the establishment of regional advisory councils, but the precise role to be given to them will be one of the important matters to be addressed in the forthcoming negotiations in the Council of Ministers. Decisions as to the regions to be covered, and the range of stakeholders to be involved and the member states from which they should be drawn, will have to be considered in consultation with interested parties once the Council has established more clearly the remit of the proposed RACs.