Fisheries and aquaculture: Council agrees its negotiating position on a new framework for statistics

The Council has agreed on a mandate to open negotiations with the European Parliament on a Regulation establishing a new European framework for fisheries and aquaculture statistics.

The new framework will modernise the collection and use of statistical data on fisheries and aquaculture across the European Union, thereby enabling the use of reliable and timely data, which are essential for designing, implementing and evaluating EU policies, in particular the common fisheries policy, and for supporting the sustainable management of marine resources and the development of the blue economy.

“Once adopted, the new framework will serve to ensure that policymakers, researchers and stakeholders have access to high-quality data in support of sustainable fisheries, responsible aquaculture and the development of evidence-based policies across the European Union,” said Maria Panayiotou, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of the Republic of Cyprus.

The future Regulation will replace five existing Regulations that currently govern the collection of data on fish catches, landings, the EU fishing fleet and aquaculture production, and will create a single, coherent legal framework. By consolidating these Regulations, the new framework is expected to improve the consistency and efficiency of data collection and reporting in the EU.

The updated framework also seeks to make better use of modern data sources and digital technologies, including administrative data and electronic databases and registers. At the same time, it aims to ensure high levels of quality, comparability and reliability for European statistics.

In the negotiating mandate agreed today, EU Member States have clarified various elements of the Commission’s proposal, such as reporting requirements, the scope of data collection and the balance between additional statistical information and the need to limit the administrative burden for national authorities and economic operators.

More information: European Council.