The European Parliament Fisheries Committees for Commissioner-designate Sinkevičius are unofficially out.
He will face the questions below, amongst others, on Thursday 3 October between 2:30 pm – 5:30 p.m.
- What are your ambitions for the next five years with regard to the advancement of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture policies, striking the balance between the conservation of fisheries resources and the achievement of a secure and profitable fishing industry, and would you consider a reform of the Common Fisheries Policy during this term to better achieve the challenges at stake?
- How will you ensure and improve the control procedure and compliance of imports of fisheries and aquaculture products with EU legislation, also in order to increase consumer trust?
- In regard to your portfolio, how do you intend to articulate environmental policies and maritime affairs in general and fisheries in particular?
The questions can only charitably be described as a low ball for Commissioner-designate Sinkevičius to knock out of the park.
They are a masterclass in anodyne openings. All that is missing are sincere questions about the candidates favourite colour and favourite beach in the Baltic.
It’s not like there is nothing to ask him. I’d have asked about:
- Stocks in the Baltic have collapsed.
- Cod stocks in the North Sea have crashed.
- The discards ban is flagrantly ignored by the fishing industry and the Member States.
- Climate change is leading to fish stock migration northwards and we pretend it is not happening
- DG MARE is intent in re-introduced subsidies to build up capacity – or as I prefer to call it ‘ taxpayer-financed corporate welfare’.
- Ah, and there is the small matter of access to UK waters post-Brexit.
These are the questions an Oceans Commissioner will need to look at and table policy solutions for. It would be good to have a sense of how he intends to deal with these challenges.
MEPs have one shot to test out the ability of the candidate that’s been put forward. Privately they’ll meet with them, and publically, they have a few hours to see how they deal with some questions.
Based on these questions, Commissioner-designate Sinkevičius just needs to avoid dribbling in public, slurring his words in the hearing, to get through. Maybe some nice pictures of a Baltic beach will guarantee confirmation.
Maybe the oral questions are a little tougher.