The European Commission presented its proposal for fishing opportunities for fish stocks under international agreements in 2013. International negotiations for many of the stocks concerned are still on-going. It will be completed once negotiations with third parties and organisations have taken place.

With the aim at discussing it at the Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels in December, the European Commission presented its proposal for next year's (2013) fishing opportunities for fish stocks which are jointly managed with third parties, which will join an earlier proposal dated 23 October 2012 relating to fish stocks in the Atlantic and the North Sea. For fish stocks shared with third countries, the European Commission negotiates towards the end of each year with these countries (Norway, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Russia) the quantities of fish to be caught in the following year, based on scientific advice.

The Commission highlighted that international negotiations for many of the stocks concerned are still on-going. The proposal therefore includes relatively few figures at this stage, and it will be completed once negotiations with third parties and organisations have taken place.

The Commission also negotiates fishing opportunities in the framework of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) for the stocks in international waters and for highly migratory species, such as tuna. These must subsequently be transposed into EU law.