This was, in a way, created by his immediate predecessor, Franz Fischler, who last week was accused of caving in to political pressure from France, following his refusal to ban fishing methods blamed for the deaths of hundreds of dolphins off the UK’s west country coast, J. Groves wrote on The Western Morning News last week.
The European Commission last week confirmed that the decision to reject British calls for the emergency closure of the winter bass fishery in the English Channel and Western Approaches had been taken primarily by Mr Fischler and his officials in Brussels. Other members of the Commission rubber-stamped the decision without debate, after it was presented as a technical, rather than a political issue.
A Commission spokesman denied that Mr Fischler had come under political pressure to allow the lucrative French-dominated fishery to continue, despite evidence that it is linked to large numbers of dolphin deaths.
“It is pure fantasy to suggest that we bowed to political pressure,” he said. “The decision was based on the scientific evidence presented to us by the UK.”
However west country conservationists remain convinced that other member States – most notably France – put pressure on the Commission to reject the British government’s request, Mr Groves wrote.
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said it was aware of at least one letter of objection to the Commission on the issue from the French government. The society’s fisheries consultant Ali Ross said: “We know that the Commission got an objection from the French straight away. That’s no surprise given the level of their involvement.”
Neil Parish, MEP for the South West and the Conservative’s fisheries spokesman in the European Parliament, said he was also convinced that the Commission had come under political pressure.
He said: “There is no doubt in my mind that the French have put pressure on the Commission and that they have given in to it. We cannot allow them just to say no. We have to go back to the Commission and say this is not acceptable.”
Earlier this year, France and Italy tried to block limited reforms that will give independent scientific observers access to boats operating in the winter bass fishery. Supported by other Mediterranean countries, including Greece and Spain, they were also successful in seeing off more radical proposals that could have helped reduce the slaughter off the west country coast.
Lib-Dem fisheries spokesman Andrew George said last week he would raise the issue with the French ambassador, Gerard Errera, at a meeting in the autumn. He also wants talks with the incoming Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg, who will replace Mr Fischler in November.
“The stumbling block isn’t the scientific evidence,” Mr George said. “It’s the political will of the Commission which is weak. So all those concerned about dolphin deaths and the depletion of bass stocks need to increase the pressure on the Commission and the French authorities. How many more dead dolphins do the Commission want before they are prepared to act? Will they only believe us when the population is completely wiped out?”
Mr Fischler, an Austrian, was previously considered sympathetic to the plight of the dolphins. A Commission spokesman said the UK government had not provided the evidence of imminent extinction needed to justify emergency action.
Meanwhile, Dr Borg was elsewhere reported to be brushing up his French. The Observer column in The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that five of Dr Borg’s colleagues – Dalia Gryhauskaite of Lithuania, Danuta Hubner of Poland, Slim Kallas of Estonia, Jan Figel of Slovakia and Markos Kyprianou of Cyprus have attended a French government-organised course over the summer. Slovenia’s Janez Potocnik and Dr Borg are booked for the autumn.