EU fisheries chief warns quotas face systematic drops

(BRUSSELS) - Europe's fisheries commissioner warned Wednesday that future quotas will be lowered systematically in the absence of reliable scientitic data from EU states on stock sustainability.

Maria Damanaki said that where there was no data or "clear scientific recommendations on the state of stocks we will apply the principle of precaution, which means a drop in quotas," starting next year.

The commissioner blamed the EU states for not delivering robust enough data to the Brussels executive, and said the policy shift would be used as a stick to speed progress there.

"Some of the states are failing in part to meet their obligations," she underlined.