General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean

 

SUMMARY OF:

Decision (EU) 2015/674 accepting, on behalf of the European Union, the amended Agreement establishing the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean

Amended Agreement establishing the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean

Agreement establishing the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean

Decision 98/416/EC on the accession of the European Community to the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENT AND THE DECISIONS?

• The agreement on the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), as amended, aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable use, at the biological, social, economic and environmental level, of living marine resources, and the sustainable development of aquaculture in the marine waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
• Decision 98/416/EC approves the accession of the European Community – now the European Union (EU) – to the GFCM.
• Decision (EU) 2015/674 approves the amended GFCM agreement on behalf of the EU.

KEY POINTS

Membership, application and representation

• The GFCM has 23 members – 22 countries with coastlines on the Mediterranean or Black Sea. Furthermore, the GFCM also includes six cooperation non-contracting parties (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine).
• The EU has been a member of the GFCM since 1998.
• The area of application is divided into five subregions: the western, central and eastern Mediterranean, the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. These subregions are then divided into 30 geographical subareas.
• Each party is represented by one delegate, with decisions taken by a majority or, in certain cases, by a two-thirds majority.

General principles

To achieve the objective of the agreement, the GFCM is guided by a number of general principles. These include:

• adopting recommendations and resolutions on conservation and management measures aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of fishing activities, focusing on:
  • measures to prevent overfishing and minimise discards, and
  • potential impacts on small-scale fisheries and local communities;
• applying the precautionary principle;
• considering aquaculture as a means to promote diversification of income and diet and ensure that living marine resources are used responsibly, genetic diversity is conserved and adverse impacts on the environment and local communities are minimised;
• fostering a subregional approach to fisheries management and aquaculture development which addresses the specificities of the Mediterranean and Black Sea;
• taking the appropriate measures to ensure compliance with its recommendations to deter and eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.

Functions

Based on its objective and general principles, the GFCM has a number of functions, including:

• regularly reviewing and assessing the state of living marine resources;
• formulating and recommending measures to:
  • conserve and manage living marine resources,
  • minimise the impacts of fishing activities on living marine resources and their ecosystems,
  • ensure populations are kept above levels which can produce maximum sustainable yield*,
  • establish restricted fishing areas to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems;
• promoting the sustainable development of aquaculture;
• regularly reviewing the socioeconomic aspects of the fishing industry;
• enhancing communication and consultation with non-governmental organisations concerned with aquaculture and fishing;
• encouraging, recommending, coordinating and undertaking research and development activities.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DECISION APPLY?

Decision 98/416/EC acceding to the GFCM has applied since 16 June 1998.

Decision (EU) 2015/674 on the acceptance of the amendment to the GFCM agreement has applied since 20 April 2015.

BACKGROUND

A new 2030 strategy for the GFCM was adopted in November 2021. It includes a package of measures designed to turn strategy into concrete action.

The Sofia Ministerial Declaration was signed in June 2018. This declaration sets forward a set of measures and initiatives for comprehensive regional governance in the Black Sea.

The Malta MedFish4Ever Ministerial Declaration was adopted in March 2017. This declaration seeks to reaffirm the parties’ intent to improve the situation of Mediterranean fisheries over the next decade thanks to a package of targets and activities to strengthen the management and governance of fisheries.

KEY TERMS

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Council Decision (EU) 2015/674 of 20 April 2015 on the acceptance, on behalf of the European Union, of the amended Agreement for the establishment of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (OJ L 111, 30.4.2015, pp. 1–2).

Amended Agreement for the establishment of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (OJ L 111, 30.4.2015, pp. 3–15).

Agreement establishing the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean – Single Declaration by the European Community on the exercise of the competence and voting rights according to Article II(6) of the GFCM Agreement – Rules of procedure of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (OJ L 190, 4.7.1998, pp. 36–47).

Council Decision 98/416/EC of 16 June 1998 on the accession of the European Community to the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (OJ L 190, 4.7.1998, pp. 34–35).

last update 21.11.2022