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EUROPEAN Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki is attempting to persuade countries bordering the Black Sea to introduce EU style fishing regulations and controls.
She has convened a meeting with ministers, secretaries of state and Members of the European Parliament from Bulgaria and Romania, as well as high-level officials and experts on the Black Sea from the World Bank, FAO and the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, to lay down a common vision for the Black Sea and set shared goals.
Ms Damanaki said: "The discussion has just started, but on the basis of the commitment I witnessed for improving environment protection and fisheries management, boosting investments and strengthening relations with Black Sea countries that are not part of the EU, I am sure that we can find together the best way for having a healthy and sustainable Black Sea."
Both Romania and Bulgaria had voiced their wish for closer co-operation and for that reason she was happy to invite their representatives to Brussels.
She stressed: "Let’s start right away with fisheries. We have a real problem here, because Romania, Bulgaria and the Commission actually want to do something to improve the stocks. But in a situation where we only fish a very small proportion of landings in this sea basin it is clear that we cannot do it on our own. If we want to get the full picture of what is going on in fisheries in the Black Sea then we need to get other Black Sea countries to cooperate with us. This is crucial for managing stocks sustainably and it is crucial for enforcing the rules."
Later this week Ms Damanaki is heading for Norway to meet the various Norwegian ministers and senior industry officials connected to fishing, including the fisheries minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen.
She said: "Norway is our key partner. In the domain of fisheries, the EU has clearly opted for a science-based approach, and we look forward to reinforcing our bilateral cooperation. The EU Common Fisheries Policy is going through a radical change and we will be able to find common ground with Norway on a very large number of issues. We also want to further pursue our Arctic dialogue with Norway, and develop a solid cooperation agenda in that regard."
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