The European Union has reached a agreement on fishing catches for the upcoming period, following intense negotiations. The agreement has been described as 'historic' by the Spanish Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Luis Planas, who was pleased with the increased catches of some species and the limited reduction in fishing days in the Mediterranean. The Czech presidency presented a compromise text that Spain rejected, leading to the adoption of a multi-annual plan for demersal fishing in the western Mediterranean. The European Commission had proposed a reduction in fishing days in the Mediterranean for 2023, which Spain found too high. The country also sought to improve fishing possibilities for haddock and sole in the Atlantic, continue scientific programs on Norway lobster, and prevent the extension of the eel fishing ban from three to six consecutive months in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.