Tuesday

19th Mar 2024

Agenda

Fishing quota and no-deal Brexit preparation This WEEK

  • How much fishing will be allowed in 2019? EU ministers are due to decide in what traditionally is an all-night haggling fest. (Photo: Fredrik Ohlander)

Some EU institutions are slowly winding down towards the Christmas break, while others have a flurry of activity at the end of the year.

The week after the last EU summit of the year will still see plenty of action in the building of the Council of the EU, the institution where member states meet.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The week is kicked off with a meeting of ministers in charge of agriculture and fisheries. On Monday, they will discuss the European Commission's proposal for a new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the 2021-2027 period.

Diplomats and ministers have discussed the CAP proposal several times the past six months, and a key point of debate is the commission's plan to give back power to the member states on how they implement the CAP.

According to a progress report prepared by Austria, which holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year, the talks "have made it clear that delegations can back the proposed policy shift in principle, but that further improvements are needed to make the system more practicable".

Monday and Tuesday will also see negotiations between fisheries ministers about Atlantic and North Sea catch quota for 2019.

This annual haggling exercise normally lasts the entire night, so an outcome can be expected only on Wednesday morning.

Last year, the fish quota debate lasted until 7:41AM.

The EU has committed to keep fish quota limited to what scientists believe is just enough not to deplete certain stocks, but economic interests always impede on that goal.

"Like every year these negotiations are about finding a balance between the sustainability of our fish stocks and the needs of our fishermen," said Estonian minister for fisheries Siim Kiisler last year.

The environmental organisation WWF said in a report published last week that the situation was improving, but not everywhere.

"Europe's history of fishing beyond sustainable levels has made it more challenging to reach the objective of healthy fish and shellfish populations," the report said.

"In the North-East Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea, some fish and shellfish stocks have shown clear signs of recovery since the early 2000s, but further efforts are needed to secure long-term healthy fish populations in these regions," it added.

This year, Brexit will play an additional role, as the UK's fishing quota for 2019 will depend on whether the UK parliament accepts the EU-UK Brexit deal.

Brexit will dominate Wednesday (19 December), when the EU commission will unveil a set of preparedness measures in case the UK crashes out of the bloc next March without a deal.

The EU wanted to step up its preparation for the no-deal scenario after this week's EU summit, where British prime minister Theresa May failed to spell out to the other EU leaders how she plans to get the votes necessary in the London parliament to pass the Brexit deal.

Climate-neutral Europe

On Wednesday, energy ministers will travel to Brussels.

No big decisions are expected, but it will be the first time energy ministers discuss the commission's recently published strategy paper on achieving a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

The next day, environment ministers will also debate the commission's climate paper.

They will also try to reach a common position about new CO2-emission limits for trucks, buses and lorries.

The bill, proposed by the EU commission, would require emissions to be 15 percent lower in 2025, compared to 2019.

Last month, the European Parliament decided in a vote that it wanted a 20 percent reduction target - the final goal will be a compromise of the three EU institutions.

There will be no formal meetings in the European Parliament. A few handful of MEPs will be on official business as part of delegations, one of them to Slovakia to inquire about the aftermath of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak.

There will also be an EU-Kosovo and an EU-Ukraine meeting on Monday, another such meeting with Serbia on Tuesday, and an EU-Egypt conference on Thursday.

Fish complicates last push for post-Brexit deal

"If the UK wants a deal here, there's a deal to be done. If the UK wants to use fish as an excuse not to have a deal, then that could happen too," Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney warned.

EU failed to end overfishing by 2020: lost opportunity?

Environmentalists denounce that the EU failed to comply with the legal obligation to end overfishing by 2020, putting at risk the sustainability of fish stocks by putting the interests of the fishing industry ahead of the health of its waters.

EU summit, Gaza, Ukraine, reforms in focus this WEEK

This week, EU leaders come together in Brussels for their usual two-day summit to discuss defence, enlargement, migration and foreign affairs. EU ministers for foreign affairs and EU affairs will meet earlier in the week to prepare the European Council.

EU summit prep work and von der Leyen's Egypt visit This WEEK

MEPs will hold a debate with EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen about the next European Council on Tuesday. Later this week, on Sunday, von der Leyen will be in Egypt for talks regarding a potential 'cash-for-migrant-control' deal.

Defence, von der Leyen, women's rights, in focus This WEEK

Ursula von der Leyen is expected to be confirmed as the EPP candidate for president of the next EU Commission. A new defence strategy will be unveiled this week, while the ECB is expected to maintain interest rates.

Opinion

Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers

The UN could launch an independent international investigation into Navalny's killing, akin to investigation I conducted on Jamal Khashoggi's assassination, or on Navalny's Novichok poisoning, in my role as special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, writes the secretary-general of Amnesty International.

Latest News

  1. Borrell: 'Israel provoking famine', urges more aid access
  2. Europol: Israel-Gaza galvanising Jihadist recruitment in Europe
  3. EU to agree Israeli-settler blacklist, Borrell says
  4. EU ministers keen to use Russian profits for Ukraine ammo
  5. Call to change EIB defence spending rules hits scepticism
  6. Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers
  7. EU summit, Gaza, Ukraine, reforms in focus this WEEK
  8. The present and future dystopia of political micro-targeting ads

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us