Ministers, in January 2014. The debate that will
take place will facilitate the adoption of meas-
ures in favour of innovation, as part of the oper-
ational programmes for rural development
2014-2020 (the 2nd pillar of the new CAP).
3. A high-level conference in Athens (mid-spring)
on the contribution of science to agricultural
competitiveness, sustainability and quality,
organized in cooperation with the Joint
Research Centre of the EU.
4. A high-level conference on fishing capacity, in
Thessaloniki, on March 13-14, organized by the
European Commission, in cooperation with the
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN and
with the support of the presidency. The results of
the conference will represent a major contribution
to the sustainability of the global fisheries indus-
try and the survival of fish stocks.
Priorities in Fisheries
As part of the reform of the Common Fisheries
Policy (CFP), the presidency gives top priority to the
adoption of the regulation on the European
Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), which is still
facing difficulties. This sector needs to become
more sustainable and innovative, and the EMFF will
contribute to this by offering motives for investment
and job creation.
As far as the external dimension of the revised
Common Fisheries Policy is concerned, the revi-
sion of the regulation concerning authorisations for
fishing activities of Community fishing vessels out-
side Community waters aims at reinforcing and
simplifying the existing framework, in accordance
with the policies for controlling and eliminating ille-
gal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
The Greek presidency will try to broker an agree-
ment on a policy statement regarding fishing oppor-
tunities for 2015, based on scientific advice, includ-
ing the maximum sustainable yield principle.
As part of the alignment with the Lisbon treaty, the
presidency will achieve an agreement on the pro-
posal regarding the regulation on the Mediter-
ranean sea and the European eel. Moreover, as
part of the external dimension of the revised CFP,
the presidency will make the preparations for the
annual meeting of the General Fisheries
Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), aiming
at the more efficient operation of the Regional
Fisheries Management Organisation for the
Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Strengthening cooperation with Mediterranean
countries, as part of the European neighbourhood
policy and the free trade agreements, is also a
priority.
The 4 Operational Plans for
Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock
Farming and Water Resources
In the first half of 2014, when Greece takes over the
helm of the presidency of the European Union, a
series of operational programmes will be imple-
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