Wednesday, 4th November 2009 - 13:42CET
Commissioner Borg wins award - €10,000 prize money to be handed to charity
The EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Joe Borg, has been nominated to receive the Kungsfenan Swedish Seafood Award.
The prize is awarded every year in recognition of important achievements in sustainable fisheries and gastronomy.
Mr Borg, the Maltese commissioner on the European Commission, was praised for his work over the past five years to put EU fisheries on a sustainable footing.
Dr Borg said he was extremely honoured.
"Placing sustainability at the heart of our approach to fisheries in order to guarantee a viable future for our fishermen and the marine resources they harvest is essential. I am pleased to say that we have already made considerable headway in this endeavour but there remains much to be done. We are fortunate enough to have the tools in place to help us do this, be it through the Integrated Maritime Policy which focuses on the further sustainable economic development of our seas and coastal regions, or the Common Fisheries Policy, a reform process for which was launched earlier this year.
"Under the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, we will be looking to ensure that an ecosystem approach forms the basis of our policy-making whereby Europe's fishing capacity is brought in line with the long-term sustainable exploitation of fishing resources." With respect to Commissioner Borg, the board has praised Dr Borg for being able to " handle short term interests in relation to more long term ones with great personal integrity" and have characterised his work as having " enormous potential to create a trustworthy, sustainable fishing policy".
The Award ceremony will take place at the Göteborg Opera on 11 February 2010 . The Commissioner will be donating his prize money, 100,000 Swedish Kronor (around €10,000), to an international charity, the European Commission said in a statement.
Commissioner Borg's nomination for the Kungsfenan award comes just a month after he received the Elisabeth Mann Borgese award from the Government of Schleswig-Holstein for his efforts to contribute to the creation of an Integrated Maritime Policy for the EU.
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Comments
Now this is a man who could have been entrusted with MEPA's reform and placed sustainability at the heart of it's approach. Why is it that our best people always ends up going overseas?
You have shown, once again, that Malta, and its people, can make useful contributions beyond our national limits, and these are appreciated by competent bodies.
Can he recommend that this money be passed on to our president Dr George Abela so that the money is distributed to local institutions through the Community Chest Fund?
Joe Borg has also won another prize for Maritime Affairs, from Germany. He has really done a lot to raise our country's profile. I can't understand why Government is waiting so long to name him as the next Commissioner.
There is noone else with his international profile and who enjoys the respect that he does.
If they appoint a new Commissioner it will be someone new who will have to prove him or herself from scratch, and who will obviously be given a very minor job.
This confirms that a small Island state in the European Union can contribute positively towards effective Global Resource Management.
Commissioner Borg - You make us proud to be Maltese within the EU. Thank you.
i have only one curious question !.... why his going to donate this money to an international charity, and not to a local NGO, which might be working in the fisheries field.?, or to a local NGO who will be ready to make awearness and educational campaigns in relation with this field?