| European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Appointer | President of the European Commission |
| Term length | 5 years |
| Inaugural holder | Costas Kadis |
| Website | https://commission.europa.eu/about/organisation/college-commissioners/costas-kadis_en |
TheEuropeanCommissioner for Fisheries and Oceans is a member of theEuropean Commission. The current Commissioner isCostas Kadis.
The portfolio includes policies such as theCommon Fisheries Policy, which is largely a competence of theEuropean Union rather than the members. The Union has 66,000 km ofcoastline[1] and the largestExclusive Economic Zone in the world, covering 25 million km2.[2] They also participate in meetings of theAgriculture and Fisheries Council (Agrifish) configuration of theCouncil of the European Union.
2014–2019 the Commissioner wasKarmenu Vella of Malta. In his hearing before the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and the Committee on Fisheries,[3] and in his introductory statement to the European Parliament,[4] Vella listed as his priorities Green Growth, protection ofnatural capital, and safeguarding the Union's citizens from environment relatedpressures and risks to health.
During his hearing with theEuropean Parliament,Stavros Dimas announced four main priorities for his term in office:climate change,biodiversity,public health andsustainability; Highlighting the importance of the Kyoto Protocol, the Natura 2000 project, the REACH directive, and the need to better enforce existing EU environmental legislation. On Dimas' website he lists the following key policy areas;Air,Biotechnology,Chemicals,Civil Protection andEnvironmental Accidents,Climate Change,Environmental Technologies, Health,International Issues andEnlargement,Nature andBiodiversity,Noise,Soil,Sustainable Development,Urban Environment,Waste andWater.
At the UN'sBuenos Aires talks on climate change in December 2004 he attempted to negotiate mandatory emissions reductions to follow the expiration of Kyoto in 2012. This met with opposition from the US, whose representatives refused to discuss it.
Dimas oversaw the introduction of the EU'semissions trading scheme that took effect on 1 January 2005, despite emissions reduction plans from Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic and Greece not having been approved on time. He also sought to include companies operating aircraft under the emissions trading regime.
In February 2007 the Commissioner put forward his plans to increasefuel efficiency standards of cars so that emissions are no more than 130g of CO2 per km, down from 162g/km in 2005. This caused anger from the European car industry[5] which was stoked by the Commissioner requesting a Japanese car, aToyota Prius, instead of a European make due to the Toyota's better environmental standards.[1]
In response to the refusal of countries to ratify theKyoto Protocol, such as the United States and Australia (the latter of which exchanged viewpoints with the EU on the matter[6]), the EU has been looking to tax products imported from those countries not taking low-carbon policies on board (Border Tax Adjustments).[7] (Australia has since ratified the Kyoto Protocol, at the Bali COP in December 2007).
Carlo Ripa di Meana was appointed Environment Commissioner in 1990 which coincided with increased public interest and awareness in environmental issues. Ripa di Meana's appointment took place at the same time as that of a new Directorate-General, Brinkhorst. They both tried to change the image of DG XI (now DG Environment) in charge of environmental issues and make it a more mainstream actor.[8] According to Schön-Quinlivan[9] the then president of the commission, Jacques Delors, did not appreciate Ripa di Meana's political style and their relationship became strained. Ripa di Meana was eventually replaced by Karel Van Miert for a period of six months until a full-time replacement could be found. Yet Van Miert supported what had been done before him and described environmental policy as 'one of our most successful policies, and one of the best understood'.[10]
Commissioner Borg was approved by theEuropean Parliament in 2004 and served until 2010. His two main priorities were "setting the European Union on the path towards a European Maritime Policy" and "securing the ecological, economic andsocial sustainability of the European fishing andaquaculture industry"[11]On 7 June 2006 theEuropean Commission published agreen paper on a future Maritime Policy and opened a consultation that ended in June 2007.[12] The green paper addressed a number of issues such as sustainable development, protection of the environment, skills and employment, technology and resources, coastal safety and tourism, financial support and heritage.[13]On 10 October 2007 the European Commission presented its vision for an integrated maritime policy with a detailed action plan[14]The Commission came under fire in May 2007 for not penalising French fishermen forover-fishing the threatenedbluefin tuna by 65% while backing penalties on Irish fishermen for over-fishing mackerel[15]
| # | Name | Country | Period | Commission | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Carlo Ripa di Meana |  Italy | 1990–1992 | Delors Commission |
| 2 | %2c_Bestanddeelnr_933-5684_(cropped).jpg) | Karel Van Miert |  Belgium | 1992–1993 | Delors Commission |
| 3 | .jpg) | Ioannis Paleokrassas |  Greece | 1993–1995 | Delors Commission |
| 4 | .jpg) | Ritt Bjerregaard |  Denmark | 1995–1999 | Santer Commission |
| 5 |  | Margot Wallström |  Sweden | 1999–2004 | Prodi Commission |
| 6 | .jpg) | Stavros Dimas | Greece | 2004–2010 | Barroso Commission I |
| 7 |  | Janez Potočnik |  Slovenia | 2010–2014 | Barroso Commission II |
A single portfolio including the former – and future – portfolio of theEU Commissioner for Agriculture.
| # | Name | Country | Period | Commission | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Franz Fischler |  Austria | 1999–2004 | Prodi Commission |
| 2 | .jpg) | Sandra Kalniete |  Latvia | 2004 | Prodi Commission |
(orFisheries and Maritime Affairs)
| # | Name | Country | Period | Commission | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | .jpg) | Joe Borg |  Malta | 2004–2010 | Barroso Commission I |
| 4 | .jpg) | Maria Damanaki | Greece | 2010–2014 | Barroso Commission II |
| # | Name | Country | Period | Commission | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |  | Karmenu Vella | Malta | 2014–2019 | Juncker Commission |
| 6 | .jpg) | Virginijus Sinkevičius |  Lithuania | 2019-2024 | von der Leyen Commission I |
| # | Name | Country | Period | Commission | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | .jpg) | Costas Kadis |  Cyprus | since 2024 | von der Leyen Commission II |
