Brussels, 06/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 6 June, the European Commission adopted an action plan agreed with France to bring the French fisheries control system into line with European Union standards (Regulation 1224/2009).
The aim of the action plan, which focuses on the French catch registration system, is to ensure that the data submitted to national controllers is complete, reliable and timely, according to a Commission statement. The development of IT tools and the streamlining of control procedures will secure the efficiency of the measures proposed.
The action plan is based on an audit by the Commission of the French system already in place. This audit highlighted administrative complexity, lack of full validation and cross-checks of data, and insufficient exchange of control documents with other member states. Problems relating to the timeliness and accuracy of the catch reporting was also flagged up.
The national fisheries control action plans are part of a European approach to make fishing more sustainable, particularly in terms of stock recovery. They also create a level playing field for European fishermen subject to the same rules. Similar plans have already been adopted and implemented with Spain, Italy, Malta and Latvia. Three others are currently in the pipeline for Portugal, Bulgaria and Romania. (MB)