Participatory Process considered appropriate approach for CFP reform implementation

CFP reform was in large part initiated by NGOs, who still have a role to play according to Schou, the former Danish ministers’ adviser for fisheries and aquaculture, and current chair of the EU Commission’s standing committee on agricultural research for fish.

“One result [of the CFP] is a disruptive change in management, and for that to work you have to move from lobbying in the corridors of the EU to implementing at sea,” he said.



“For reform to work in the common interest and reach full potential, the NGOs should change financial resources from lobbying to helping fishermen implement new policy.”

CFP reform is going to see quite strict environmental controls, so there is a need for stakeholders cooperation and NGOs are expected to contribute.

“Every fishery’s different and every one will have different targets, social and economic. Right now Brussels is setting the environmental targets – it will be up to the fishery managers to determine the social and economic targets, and often there’ll be conflict there. That’s why the stakeholder process is so important, to ensure transparency.”
(Article’s Source)