Landing obligation – what it means and how to apply it
From 1st January 2015 onwards fishermen in certain parts of the EU will have to land the fish they catch. By 2019 all fishermen will have the same obligation. In order to give full legal clarity for all fishermen affected by the imminent coming into force of this landing obligation, the European Commission has issued guidance on what the changes mean and how they will be applied and enforced. The European Commission has also reiterated its willingness to continue acting as a facilitator to help the European Parliament and Council to find agreement on the so-called Omnibus Regulation. The Omnibus Regulation would further clarify technical rules that are important in view of the landing obligation. Whilst agreement has not yet been reached, much progress has already been made on a number of substantive issues and all parties have demonstrated their willingness to find agreement. The Commission is hopeful that negotiations will resume shortly on the outstanding issues following this constructive start.