On 18 April 2024, EAA members met in Brussels for the spring 2024 Subgroups meetings, during which members discussed several topics affecting their work in the Joint Subgroup, Freshwater & Sea subgroups. Points on the agenda included: the Revised Control Regulation, developments under the Living Rivers Europe Coalition and the proposal by the European Commission to revise the Multi-Annual Plans.
The
Freshwater Subgroup meeting was the occasion to take stock of the works & developments concerning EAA’s involvement in the
Living Rivers Europe Coalition, the main activities undertaken by EAA and some preliminary outcomes of this work. Under the LRE Coalition, EAA has been working intensively on several aspects affecting recreational fisheries such as the Nature Restoration Law, the (yet still pending) Communication by the European Commission on a Water Resilience Initiative and many more.
The Joint Subgroup welcomed Dr. Harry Strehlow - Research Associate at the Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries - to present different options on how Member States can implement the new requirements resulting from the revised Control Regulation. Based on extensive discussions, the EAA developed a first draft position for future communications on the Control Regulation. The EAA's work in the EU’s Advisory Councils was also on the agenda.
Finally, the Sea Subgroup took stock of the recent developments concerning the proposal by the European Commission of the Multi-Annual Plans, the current full evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy commissioned by Commissioner V. Sinkevičius and the state of play of the MSFD revision.
Next subgroup meetings will take place in Tampere (Finland) on 07 September, just before the 30th EAA General Assembly meeting.
Photo credits : Aliénor 2024