Bruges © Belgian presidency
Practical information
Date
24 - 25 March 2024
Address
Bruges, Belgium
The Flemish Fisheries Minister is inviting her European fisheries colleagues to an informal Fisheries Council in Bruges and Zeebrugge on 24 and 25 March, where they will be working on some concrete actions for the future of the European fisheries and aquaculture sector – two sectors of great importance for food security.
Discussion about the future of the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector
An informal discussion among ministers will continue at the Bruges Meeting & Convention Centre (BMCC) on Monday concerning the topic of the "Future of the EU fisheries and aquaculture. This discussion will bring together EU fisheries ministers, delegates from the European Commission and the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, the Chairman of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament, representatives of the Council Secretariat and stakeholders in order to discuss the future of fisheries.
Through exchanges of views upon topics such as protecting the EU fisheries sector and boosting the attractiveness of the EU fisheries sector in all its diversity, the Belgian Minister, as the chairperson of the Fisheries Council, wants to share with all member states some messages about which challenges and solutions the member states see as appropriate to their own situation while still fitting within an EU framework.
Site visit to Zeebrugge
After lunch, the ministers, their entourage, and delegations from the European institutions and broader stakeholders will be invited to a site visit on the coast, specifically in Zeebrugge. There, a renovated vessel will be on display, as well as the boat simulators of the Public Employment Service (VDAB), where ministers can experience what it is like to stand at the bow of a beam trawler.
The Informal Council will conclude with a short reception.
European fishermen guarantee our food security with healthy fish products. The fisheries and aquaculture sector is in transition to ensure even more sustainable fishing and to be an attractive and safe sector for current and future generations. Today, we will engage on the complexity of these tasks and the ways we can support them more strongly.
Find the latest figures in the recently published Fisheries Report 2024