79. Calls on the European Commission to tackle without delay the overfishing of mackerel in the North East Atlantic by non-EU-countries and if necessary make use of the trade measures’ instruments which will soon be at hand;

28. Regrets that the recent meeting of the four coastal states, Iceland, the EU, Norway and the Faroe Islands, on the management of mackerel fisheries in the North-East Atlantic in 2012, ended without reaching an agreement, and encourages all coastal states to make a renewed effort to continue the negotiations aimed at reaching a resolution of the mackerel dispute, based on realistic proposals consistent with historical rights and the advice of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, which safeguard the future of the stock, protect and maintain jobs in the pelagic fishery and ensure a long-term, sustainable fishery; no ...[+++]tes the Commission's proposal to put forward trade measures to combat unsustainable fishing practices;

(3a) Union policy and legislation in relation to bluefin tuna should be consistent with Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) and Commission Decision 2010/477/EU of 1 September 2010 on criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status of marine waters, which require Member States to take action to ensure that, by 2020, at the latest, the spawning stock biomass of all populations of commercially ...[+++] exploited fish, including bluefin tuna, is at or above the spawning stock biomass associated with maximum sustainable yield.

My second comment is that, as the correlations change, the importance of trans-Atlantic trade relations and of promoting a more functional American market which will increase trans-Atlantic trade and give the parties on either side of the Atlantic greater negotiating power increases.

The purpose of MEBF is to provide an informal forum for business people to identify what they regard as the key issues in the trade and industrial relationship between the two regions and to come up with recommendations to the public authorities of both sides on steps that could be taken to improve market access, facilitate doing business and encourage investment.

The Commission has decided to terminate an antidumping investigation concerning imports of Atlantic salmon originating in Norway without taking trade protection measures following undertakings by the Norwegian authorities outside the context of this proceeding to reorganize and stabilize the salmon market.