The Administrative Board adopted the Single Programming Document (SPD), which contains the Multiannual work programme 2022- 2026 and the EFCA´s work programme for year 2022, and elected its Deputy Chair, Mr Yiannos Kyriacou, during its 37th meeting, which was held online for the fourth time.
This document provides a wide-ranging overview of the objectives and activities of the EFCA for next year and on that basis, the allocation of resources granted by the European Union to the agency. The activities planned by the Agency span from the operational coordination of fisheries control across the EU, to tasks relating to the international obligations of the Union, from the assistance to Member States to improve the culture of compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), to the European Cooperation on Coast Guard function.
EFCA’s work also supports the EU in the international dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy, ensuring the compliance to the international provisions, the assistance to the implementation of the Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Regulation and the direct cooperation with third countries, when requested.
The budget for 2022 adopted by the Administrative Board is of EUR 35,6 million. For 2022, EFCA has received additional resources which will provide the Agency with the necessary operational capacity for assisting the Member States and the European Commission in the monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries as required by CFP, including the measures entailed by the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the UK. In addition, this work programme also includes the projects assigned to EFCA by DG MARE and subsidised by grants under the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).
Through all these activities, EFCA helps achieving the environmental and socio-economic objectives of the CFP. These activities are now also firmly embedded in the European Green Deal through their contribution to sustainable food systems and safeguarding biodiversity as well as by contributing to a Sustainable Blue Economy.
“The Agency has a pivotal role in fostering close cooperation between EU Member States, in the framework of the Monitoring, Control and Surveillance measures of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), contributing to a culture of compliance by fostering an efficient and uniform implementation of the rules”, said Susan Steele, EFCA Executive Director, who was for the first time participating in an Administrative Board meeting since she took office on 1 September 2021.
Background
EFCA is a European Union agency that promotes the highest common standards for the control, inspection and surveillance under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). EFCA was established to organise operational coordination activities by the Member States and to assist them to cooperate so as to comply with the rules in order to ensure its effective and uniform application.
The added value of the work of the agency lies in its contribution to sustainable fisheries by enhancing compliance with conservation and management measures and to a European-wide level playing field for the fishing industry.
The Administrative Board is the governing and controlling body of EFCA. It is composed of six members of the European Commission and one representative per Member State. The Administrative Board holds a meeting at least once a year.