ATTEMPTS by Ireland to break the deadlock over EU fish conservation measures failed last night, although Fisheries Ministers agreed the framework set out in the Irish proposal provided a basis for settlement.
The Irish compromise, based on a radical reworking of a dramatic package of fleet cuts from the Commission, will now go back to working groups in an effort to get agreement before the current programme runs out at the end of December.
Yesterday, the Fisheries Commissioner, Ms Emma Bonino, warned that failure to reach an agreement by then would mean an end to cash payments for modernisation and construction of boats, as the legal base of any new payments is part of the new package.
Ministers are due to meet again on December 19th when they are also due to negotiate memberstates' catches for next year.
