Nachrichten

Maria Damanaki, appointed Commissioner for Maritime and Fisheries Affairs last month, will pay a visit to the Community Fisheries Control Agency, seated in Vigo (Spain), on 12 March 2010. During the working meeting, the Commissioner will personally meet the management of the Agency. Moreover, she will be able to get a detailed inside view of the CFCA activities and functioning as well as discuss its future challenges.

The European Union agencies: European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) based in Lisbon, the European Agency for the Management of Operational Co-operation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex) based in Warsaw and the Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA), based in Vigo, have concluded an agreement with a view to cooperate, in accordance with their respective mandates, in the field of maritime surveillance that will be mutually beneficial for the three agencies.

After two years since the beginning of the functioning of the control activities coordinated by the CFCA and one year since the Agency installed in Vigo, the CFCA has assessed its functioning and discussed with Member States the way forward during a three day seminar in Vigo. From 8 to 10 of July, representatives of 20 Member States, the European Commission and the CFCA have analysed the work carried out so far, discussed on the best practices and set out guidelines for the future.

The CFCA has adopted its annual report for 2008 at the meeting of the Administrative Board held on the 19th of March. The annual report includes a first evaluation of the intense coordination activity the CFCA has developed in 2008 while relocating to Vigo and doubling its staff. Moreover, the first draft for the work programme of 2010 and the preliminary draft budget were discussed at the meeting.