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CFCA discusses the way forward

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 discussions showed that much has been already achieved and the cooperation between Member States in fisheries control is a reality today. However, operational coordination between Member States alone is not enough. The establishment of a culture of compliance requires further efforts from all authorities concerned and in particular a common strategy shared by Member States leeading towards compliance. The CFCA will assist actively the Member States and the Commission in defining and executing such a compliance strategy¨ said Harm Koster, Executive Director of the CFCA.

On the basis of the experience of the two last years and discussing on the three issues proposed ¨ The assessment of the Joint Deployment Plans (JDP) and performance indicators¨, ¨Risk analysis in Control and strategies for enforcement and Best practices in JDPs coordination, the CFCA has well taken note of the recommendations coming out from the sessions on how to follow from here. In general, the JDP experience shows that, given the particularity of each region in European fisheries, taylor made solutions have been successful. The CFCA will continue brokering operational cooperation in this way, adapting to the realities of the different regions while the respect to quality standards and a level playing field is ensured. For the CFC will not be “one size fits all”.
 

Amongst the different recommendations to the CFCA coming out of the seminar, these are the most relevant ones:

• To continue with JDPs that take into account the conditions of the different areas/fisheries
• To adopt, where appropriate, multiannual JDPs, consistent wiith the time-frame of the relevant specific control and inspection programmes of the Commission.
• To carry over a study on the application of web based systems to exchange information in the framework of the JDPs
• To create a working group with Member States and the Commission to facilitate the cooperation to implement the IUU regulation
• To apply a procedure to adopt the annual assesment report of each JDP
• To develop a methodology to assess JDPs, in consultation with Member States and the European Commission
• To promote further development of performance indicators
• To apply the risk analysis for control operations method discussed in the seminar
• To facilitate the exchange of good risk analysis methodologies between Member States, and support the development of a risk analysis tool that may be of benefit to them
• To work on the development of common guidelines applicable to risk managament and appropriate impact evaluation procedures
• To become a training centre for control and inspection bodies

Due to the success in terms of participation and content of the seminar, an annual assesment seminar for the years to come will be contemplated in the future work programmes of the Agency. In fact, the organisation of the seminar was already foreseen in the Work Programme for 2009 where it said that ¨the two years experience of the functioning of the JDPs allow the discussion of some aspects which can be improved through the integration of some of the good practices observed to be as effective as possible¨.

 

More informations on the seminar:

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. 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.

Documents of the meeting: