Actual management of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) should be progressively devolved to the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs), the European Parliament Fisheries Committee says in a new report.
The report on governance within the CFP, adopted 15-0 by the committee, recognises that the Commission’s evaluation of the RACs last year was a positive one, but that “certain issues to do with funding, composition and area of coverage” remain to be resolved, adding that “action needs to be taken to improve their visibility, the consultation procedures and their access to scientific evidence”.
The report conceded however, that ”the closer involvement of stakeholders” in the decision-making process has had a beneficial effect, holding forth the North Sea RAC decision to ban the discarding of “marketable cod” as an example.
It noted the RACs’ wish to have better access to social and economic advise, beside the scientific counsel they already get. “In this context”, the report says, “it would be helpful if the Commission were also to engage in an evaluation of STECF and if closer contacts could be developed with the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee”.
The STECF is the Commission’s Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries.
On the changing role of the Advisory Council for Fisheries and Aquaculture (ACFA) vis-à-vis the RACs, the Parliament report stated that the Commission’s evaluation “raised various questions”, notably about ACFA’s objectives, composition and procedures, as well as “the role it should play in the longer term”. To avoid overlaps with the work of the RACs, ACFA’s role should be considered “in the context of the development of the integrated maritime policy”, the report said, which would not exclude “close liason” where such were called for.
Summing up, the report claimed that “the improvements already brought about by stakeholder involvement” point to future reform of the CFP that would involve a “radical decentralisation”, tailoring measures to particular fisheries in particular areas.
“RACs should be at the core of this decentralisation”, it concluded.