Renew Europe has today welcomed the election of MEP Pierre Karleskind (La République en marche, France) as Chair of the Committee on Fisheries (PECH).
Pierre Karleskind, newly elected Chair of PECH, said today after the vote:
"This mandate promises to be particularly dense for the fishing committee. First, we will have to negotiate a fisheries agreement with the UK before July 1. The negotiations for this fisheries agreement must absolutely be inseparable from the discussions on an economic partnership with the United Kingdom. We demand reciprocal access to the waters. That is to say, identical conditions to those we have now must be upheld – not more, not less. This must be a condition for the conclusion of an economic agreement. But it’s not the only emergency we will have to face. The ocean, the seas and fishing resources are in a critical condition. We must ensure sustainable management of fisheries in Europe and beyond. The Common Fisheries Policy is not sufficiently armed to meet the climate challenges of today and tomorrow. We must take into account the pressure of fishing on our resources and on our marine ecosystems, but not only! Water pollution or climate change must be taken into account. The work of the Fisheries Committee, carried out alongside the fisheries sector, NGOs and scientists, must be a driving force for the revision of the Common Fisheries Policy. "
ENDS