Dear Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis,
The European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD),’ Europêche, The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana, The Pew Charitable Trusts andWWFl are writing to you today regarding the review launched by the European Commission of the 15-Point Action Plan on Trade and Sustainable Development Chapters to ensure that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) actually deliver in terms of sustainable development.
In the framework of this review, we call on you to ensure that EU trade and fisheries policies are properly aligned, including in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. One of the provisions mentioned in the Trade and Sustainable Development Chapters concerns the management of living marine resources and aquaculture products.
Under this provision, cooperation in the fight against IUU fishing is emphasised. As enshrined in the Common Fisheries Policy and reiterated in President von der Leyen’s mission letter to Commissioner Sinkevičius, the EU intends to apply a zero-tolerance approach towards IUU fishing. While commendable and, as a principle, fundamental for the preservation of our ocean, concrete actions need to be taken to this effect, including in EU trade policies.
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