5.12 Ireland and EU Outlook

5.12 Ireland and EU Outlook

Following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, the majority of fish stocks of relevance to Ireland, which were previously exclusively Union resources, are now shared resources under international law. The European Commission has the sole competence to negotiate with third countries (including the United Kingdom) on behalf of the EU on the setting of fishing opportunities. The consultations between the EU and United Kingdom on 2023 fishing opportunities for shared stocks began on 7 November 2022 and concluded on 20 December 2022. The EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) sets 20 December as the deadline for the parties to reach agreement on fishing opportunities for the following year. If agreement isn’t reached by 20 December, the TCA provides that each Party shall set provisional Total Allowable Catches (TACs). As agreement was reached by the deadline, there was no need to set provisional TACs and quotas this year.

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The fishing opportunities set for 2023 will see increases in quotas for some of Ireland’s most important commercial stocks including prawns (nephrops), Celtic sea monkfish, hake and megrim and north-west haddock and whiting. Restricted, by-catch only quotas have been set for some vulnerable stocks caught in mixed fisheries, including cod stocks around the coast and for the horse mackerel stock, to help these stocks recover. The spurdog fishery will be reopened in 2023, after it was closed for over ten years to rebuild that stock. In addition, the Northwest herring fishery will be re-opened as a commercial fishery. This fishery was closed, other than for the collection of data for scientific purposes, since 2015.

European Commission Report on the CFP The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Regulation, Regulation (EU) 1380/2013, provides that the European Commission will report to the European Parliament and the Council on the functioning of the CFP by the end of 2022.

In preparation for this report, in February 2022, Minister McConalogue established a national Common Fisheries Policy Review Group to identify the key issues for Ireland in any revision of the policy. The Group was chaired by Mr. John Malone, former secretary general of DAFM, and assisted by a steering committee comprising Mr. Micheál Ó Cinnéide, former Director of the MI and EPA, and Mr. Donal Maguire, former Director in BIM. Mr. Michael Keating, former BIM Deputy CEO, was rapporteur for the Group. The Group involved representatives of key stakeholders, including Producer Organisations, the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, the aquaculture industry, co-ops, the seafood processing industry and representatives of environmental NGOs.

The CFP Review Group submitted its final report to the Minister in August 2022. The report, which the Minister formally submitted to the Commission, included key recommendations that the full impact of Brexit on the functioning of CFP must be addressed.

In February 2023, the EU Fisheries Commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevičius, published the Commission’s assessment on the functioning of the CFP along with a package of measures to improve the sustainability and resilience of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. These

measures include a report on the Common Market Organisation for fisheries and aquaculture; a Communication on the energy transition of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, and an Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries.

Initial discussions on the CFP report took place at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 20 March 2023. Ireland welcomed the progress that has been made under the current CFP over the past decade in improving the sustainability of fish stocks and also the Commission’s recognition of the fundamental role played by stakeholders in driving these positive changes. Ireland also expressed concern about the impacts of Brexit, which were not fully covered by the report, and called for the development of a comprehensive Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Strategy that will protect and enhance Irish and EU interests.

The March Council discussion was an initial exchange of views on the package and further discussions will take place during 2023.

		6 CHAPTER		Agri-Food sector trade
The value of agri-food Exports to the United The Prepared exports for Kingdom, our largest trading Consumer Foods sector 2022 totalled partner, increased by accounted for €19 billion €926 million to €3.2 billion . in exports in 2022. €6.8 billion in 2022.

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