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Common Fisheries Policy

The common fisheries policy (CFP) was set up in 1970. It was agreed that European Union fishermen should have access to the waters of the other Member States, regardless of their nationality. As part of its pledge to ensure responsible fishing and aquaculture, the EU’s CFP was redrafted in 2002 with the aim of securing the future of fishing. The policy is based on the following principles:

The conservation measures establish the total allowable catch, and restrict the fishing effort, and include technical measures involving rules on fishing gear and minimum landing sizes for certain species, plus the duty to register and declare catch and landings;

Intended to restrict the environmental impact of fishing, it included protecting marine mammals, sea birds and turtles, immature fish, vulnerable fish stocks and safeguarding sensitive habitats;

The European Fisheries Fund (EFF) is the CFP’s financial instrument for the period 2007-2013. It is meant to support the goals of the CFP, i.e. the sustainable exploitation of fishing resources, boosting competitiveness and viability of operators in the sector, promotion of environmentally-friendly methods, provision of assistance required to people employed in the sector and promotion of the sustainable development of the fishing zones.

Intended to limit fishing capacity and achieve a better balance between total fishing capacity and available resources;

A UE procura estabelecer um equilíbrio entre a procura do mercado e a oferta dos pescadores, relativamente às regras da concorrência;

The EU has signed agreements based on the development of sustainable, responsible fishing that allow Community fishing vessels access to the fishing zones of other countries. It has also entered into various international agreements relating to fishing and maritime law;

It is up to the Member States to ensure compliance with the rules of the CFP. Control is essential to ensure the rules are obeyed, to deter fraud and guarantee sustainable fishing. The Community Fisheries Control Agency was set up to tighten controls. It started work in 2007.