On 05/05 in Nicosia, during the Informal Council of EU Fisheries Ministers.
Spain, France, and Italy have once again joined forces in Europe to negotiate an appropriate allocation of fishing days for 2027 and the reform of the European Union's regulation on fishing in the Western Mediterranean.
Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, French Minister Delegate for the Sea and Fisheries, Catherine Chabaud, and Italian Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Francesco Lollobrigida, met on the sidelines of the Informal EU Fisheries Ministers Council held in Nicosia and the MedFish4Ever Conference.
This strategic alliance, known as the Pescamed group, which already delivered positive results last year, aims to remain united ahead of the December Fisheries Council, where fishing opportunities for 2027 will be determined.
Likewise, the three ministers will advocate for changes to Regulation (EU) 2019/1022, which establishes the multiannual plan for demersal fisheries in the Western Mediterranean. The Pescamed group, currently chaired by Spain, will present its own proposal.
"It is now time for the Commission to set a date for an amendment aimed at improving the management of Mediterranean fishing grounds, taking into account the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social," the Pescamed group stated.
Just a few days ago, the European Commission said that after ten years of EU fishing rules under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), there has been some progress on sustainability, but fish stocks are recovering more slowly than expected, and many fishers are still under economic pressure.