How to reform the Common Fisheries Policy?

The EC Green Paper on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) was the focus of the discussion between the EP Fisheries Committee members and their counterparts in the national Parliaments. The discussion revolved around the main chapters of the Green Paper, such as putting an end to the overcapacity of the fleet and refocusing on the CFP's main objective on maintaining healthy, sustainable and exploitable stocks.

The CFP was last reformed in 2002. There is no denying, however, that it has not attained all its objectives. Its main failure is the widespread overfishing that still plagues most EU fisheries. One of the main goals of the new reform, which is expected to enter into force in 2013, is to strike a balance between fleet capacity and available resources.