Today, I read with ever growing concern how the European Parliament’s largest political group, the EPP, are trying to gut the reform of the Common Fisheries Reform.
EPP Franco-Spanish Alliance Joined By Germany
A Franco-Germany-Spanish alliance appears in the form of Alain Cadec (France), Werner Kuhn (Germany) and Carmen Fraga (Spain) to weaken the CFP one step more.
Fraga – The Captain of the EPP Ship?
The text mirrors the clever amendments from Carmen Fraga who wants to deal with discards but only under long term management plans. She knows that this sets the day off any discard reductions in to the far away horizon.
Brittany’s Cheque Book
Alain Cadec, the French conservative, whose speeches sound more like they are battle cries from a Communist, demanding more aid for his wealthy Brittany distant water fishing fleet, is less subtle, and like a snake oil salesman of old, you know where he stands. You can picture him securing signatures from his French EPP comrades by a Gallic pat on the shoulder, just asking that MEPs sign off without having the need to read what they were signing up to as a page of paper was waved before them. Of course, this would never happen with high minded Parliamentarians, and certainly not the conscienitis French Comrades of the EPP.
Going AWOL from Berlin?
Werner Kuhn sits in a different camp. His allies in the Fishing Committee support more subsidies, probably shipped in from Germany, to pay for more of a failed corporate welfare project. Most of his EPP colleagues oppose a ban on discards whilst Germany’s leading fishermen, processors, and retailers back a discard ban.
However, in a rare show of independence from his own Party and governing Party to boot, Mr Kuhn seems to oppose the German Government on every major issue.
Time to Torpedo the Reform
This alliance have working hard. They have got the support of many of their EPP members to table an amendment that would cull a key part of the CFP. They have called on the CFP to have:
5.9.2012 A7-0253/2
Amendment 2
Werner Kuhn, Alain Cadec, Carmen Fraga Estévez and others
Report A7-0253/2012
Nikolaos Salavrakos
Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy – overarching communication
COM(2011)0417 – 2011/2290(INI)
Motion for a resolutionParagraph 9
Motion for a resolution Amendment
9
9. Stresses that the CFP must apply the precautionary approach to fisheries management and ensure that the sustainable exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains populations of all stocks of harvested species at levels close to those capable of producing maximum sustainable yield (MSY); stresses that a clear timetable, including a final deadline, must be established in the basic regulation; emphasises that the provision of appropriate economic resources for the implementation of the CFP is necessary in order to phase out overfishing wherever it is demonstrated and achieve sustainable stock conservation, which requires reliable scientific data;
The amendment sets a low bar. It suggests that healthy fish stock recovery should be limited and puts a cap on the number of stocks that ever need to reach MSY.
Who Are the EPP Enemies of Progress
He amendment is supported by:________________________________________
HERRANZ GARCIA Esther (EPP, Spain)
DEL CASTILLO Pilar (EPP, Spain)
ITURGAIZ ANGULO Carlos (EPP, Spain)
JIMENEZ-BECERRIL BARRIO Teresa (EPP, Spain)
ESTARAS FERRAGUT Rosa (EPP, Spain)
ARIAS ECHEVERRIA Pablo (EPP, Spain)
SALAFRANCA José Ignacio (EPP, Spain)
FRAGA ESTÉVEZ Carmen (EPP, Spain)
CORREA ZAMORA María Auxiliadora (EPP, Spain)
MATO Gabriel (EPP, Spain)
DE GRANDES PASCUAL Luis (EPP, Spain)
VIDAL-QUADRAS Alejo (EPP, Spain)
PATRÃO NEVES Maria do Céu (EPP, Portugal)
TEIXEIRA Nuno (EPP, Portugal)
COELHO Carlos (EPP, Portugal)
FERNANDES José Manuel (EPP, Portugal)
CARVALHO Maria Da Graça (EPP, Portugal)
RANGEL Paulo (EPP, Portugal)
RIVELLINI Crescenzio (EPP, Italy)
SARTORI Amalia (EPP, Italy)
BONSIGNORE Vito (EPP, Italy)
SALATTO Potito (EPP, Italy)
GARGANI Giuseppe (EPP, Italy)
BALDASSARRE Raffaele (EPP, Italy)
CASINI Carlo (EPP, Italy)
ANTONIOZZI Alfredo (EPP, Italy)
LA VIA Giovanni (EPP, Italy)
RONZULLI Licia (EPP, Italy)
SCURRIA Marco (EPP, Italy)
CADEC Alain (EPP, France)
DANTIN Michel (EPP, France)
VLASTO Dominique (EPP, France)
SANCHEZ-SCHMID Marie-Thérèse (EPP, France)
LE BRUN Agnès (EPP, France)
DANJEAN Arnaud (EPP, France)
PROUST Franck (EPP, France)
FRANCO Gaston (EPP, France)
ROATTA Jean (EPP, France)
MORIN-CHARTIER Elisabeth (EPP, France)
DE VEYRAC Christine (EPP, France)
SAÏFI Tokia (EPP, France)
RIQUET Dominique (EPP, France)
GAUZÈS Jean-Paul (EPP, France)
MATHIEU Véronique (EPP, France)
GROSSETETE Francoise (EPP, France)
GALLO Marielle (EPP, France)
LE GRIP Constance (EPP, France)
TSOUKALAS Ioannis A. (EPP, Greece)
KUHN Werner (EPP, Germany)
LEHNE Klaus-Heiner (EPP, Germany)
REUL Herbert (EPP, Germany)
JEGGLE Elisabeth (EPP, Germany)
NIEBLER Angelika (EPP, Germany)
KLASS Christa (EPP, Germany)
KOZ?OWSKI Jan (EPP, Poland)
SARVAMAA Petri (EPP, Finland)
KELLY Seán (EPP, Ireland)
HIGGINS Jim (EPP, Ireland)
VAN NISTELROOIJ Lambert (EPP, Netherlands)
KASOULIDES Ioannis (EPP, Cyprus)
GABRIEL Mariya (EPP, Bulgaria)
SÓGOR Csaba (EPP, Romania)
STASTNY Peter (EPP, Slovakia)
LANDSBERGIS Vytautas (EPP, Lithuania)
LULLING Astrid (EPP, Luxembourg)
8 September
The mood of the EPP as the blocking force is reflected in the fisheries Committeee exchange on reform on 8th September.
If you missed it, you can watch it here:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/lSYJH98LSzk[/youtube]
How Will the EP Vote
On Wednesday, 12 September the EP will vote on this first test of the CFP Reform.
A roll call vote will test who stands for reform and who are the conservative forces in the EP who will go down fighting for more subsidies, more centralization, and less prosperity.