The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) Administrative Board met in Vigo, Spain, on Wednesday 21 June and suggested that discussion be initiated on updating the 2005 regulation putting in place a Community fisheries control agency.
The administrative board published recommendations on the way forward for the agency for the next five-year period. Its meeting was preceded by a seminar on the second five-year independent external evaluation of EFCA carried out in accordance with Article 39 of the EFCA founding regulation.
The Agency has to adapt to new tasks (European border and coast guard) and provisions in the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The administrative board issued a number of recommendations, including opening discussions on and consideration of review of the 2005 regulation establishing the Agency, taking into account: - Regulation 1224/2009 (control regulation); - the alignment of EFCA’s mission and tasks with recent and possible future developments in the CFP, notably the landing obligation, regionalisation, measures to combat IUU fishing and the external dimension of the CFP.
Other recommendations relate to procedures within the Vigo-based agency, such as contributing to the further harmonisation of control methods, procedures and minimum inspection standards, and exploring ways to extend joint deployment plans.
At the request of the Commission, the agency coordinates fisheries control and inspection activities by the member states in line with international control and inspection programmes, establishing joint deployment plans as, for example, for Bluefin tuna. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)