EUROPEAN FISHERIES CONTROL AGENCY (EFCA)

The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) co-ordinates the national operational activities in the area of fisheries, and assists the Member States in their application of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The agency is based in Vigo, Spain.

The Agency's mission is to promote the highest common standards for control, inspection and surveillance under the Common Fisheries Policy.

The EFCA functions at the highest level of excellence and transparency with a view to developing the necessary confidence and cooperation of all parties involved and, in so doing, to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of its operations.

Objectives and strategy

The primary role of the EFCA is to ensure uniform and effective application of the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy by the Member States by organising operational cooperation between Member States, assisting the Community and Member States in their relations with third countries and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and ensuring dialogue with stakeholders, in particular through the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs).

The added value of the work of the Agency lies in its contribution to a European wide level playing field for the fishing industry so that European obligations are observed by everyone and that everyone in the sector is treated equally, wherever they might be operating. Secondly, it contributes towards sustainable fisheries by enhancing compliance with existing conservation and management measures to the benefit of present and future generations.

In order to achieve these objectives, the two main strategic axes of the mid-term strategy of the EFCA are the operational coordination of joint deployment of pooled national resources through the adoption of Joint Deployment Plans (JDP) in priority areas (Blue fin tuna in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic, Cod in the North and Baltic Seas, and the regulated species in the NAFO/NEAFC R.A.) and building capacities in Member States to apply the rules of the CFP in uniform way through common training programmes for national fisheries inspectors, facilitating the pooling of data on fishing activities and control, setting up of remote operational coordination facilities and supporting the pooling of means.