Coveney to lead crunch talks on EU fish policy

Crunch talks on a radical change in the EU’s decades-old failed fish policy will be led by Minister Simon Coveney in Brussels today.

The negotiations are at a make-or-break stage and if the minister fails to get the member states and the European Parliament to agree to the new rules, it could be two years before another opportunity arises.

“We will be moving heaven and Earth to get agreement to accommodate the concerns of both sides,” said Mr Coveney, as he prepared to head into a meeting to convince his fellow ministers to adopt new positions.