Europêche has added four new organisations from the sea-fishing sector to its membership.
During a general assembly held on May 12, Europêche accepted the applications from the Polish Organisation of North-Atlantic Producers (PAOP) and three Italian cooperative organisations: AGCI-Agrital, LEGAPESCA and FEDERCOOPESCA.
Europêche now counts 19 member organisations from 13 different member states.
Concerned at the delay by fishing industry professionals in the new member states in seeking representation at the community level, Europêche, together with its European social partner, the ETF, is launching a community project in the new member states and candidate countries aimed at integrating them into the Brussels decision-making process.
"Social dialogue is part of the acquis communautaire," said Niels Wichmann, President of Europêche. He hoped that representatives of the sector from Slovenia, Cyprus, Estonia and other Baltic countries would soon be able to come to defend their positions in Europêche working meetings alongside their European counterparts.