Spanish representatives seek EU fisheries policy reforms

Spanish regional representatives and MEPs are pushing for reforms to European fisheries and aquaculture policies to better protect local economic and social interests.

In Brussels, Joan Simonet, the Balearic Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment, is meeting with the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans. He is representing a joint proposal from five Mediterranean Spanish autonomous communities—the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, Valencian Community, Murcia, and Andalusia—to adapt EU fishing regulations to the Mediterranean's specific socio-economic and environmental realities. Key demands include an ‘Omnibus Fishing Regulation’ to revise the Common Fisheries Policy, legal recognition for the Mediterranean coastal fleet, and increased regional management.

Simultaneously, BNG MEP Ana Miranda has called upon the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee to protect the mussel sector during the ongoing reform of the Common Organisation of Markets (CMO). Miranda highlighted the vulnerability of Galician mussel producers to imports from countries such as Chile, advocating for stricter traceability and clearer labeling to prevent unfair competition and ensure consumer protection.