ACFA - Advisory Committeee on Fisheries and Aquaculture

EBCD is a Member of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (ACFA)  and of its NGO Contact Group, and has actively participated to the work of the Committee since the admission on NGOs in 1999.

EBCD contributes to the works of the Committee and its four Working Groups and provides information and detailed reports of their various meetings.

The Advisory Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (ACFA) is an advisory forum group to the European Commission for a number of European organisations representing different interests in relation to the CFP. It was created in 1971 as Advisory Committee on Fisheries and renamed in 1999 ACFA when its composition was extended to include representatives of the aquaculture industry, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and scientific organisations.

Alongside the RACs, ACFA remains a crucial tool through which the Commission can engage in dialogue with the sector and understand stakeholders’ points of view.

Composition and structure

The ACFA is composed of 21 representatives of the following interests: professional organisations representing the production sector, the processing industry and trade in fishery and aquaculture products as well as non-professional organisations representing the interests of consumers, the environment and development.

The Members of ACFA are appointed by the Commission following proposals from the organisations set up at Community level, which are the most representative of the interests concerned.

The Members serve for a renewable term of three years.

ACFA operates through four working groups

WG 1: Access to fisheries resources and management of fishing activities.

WG 2: Aquaculture (breeding of fish, shellfish and molluscs).

WG 3: Markets and trade policy.

WG 4: Economics and sector analysis.

Activities

ACFA adopts opinions on major policy issues in relation to the CFP.

Although ACFA is consulted by the EU Commission on measures relating to the CFP, the Committee may also express opinions on its own initiative. At the request of its chair or its members, the Committee may raise issues related to any measure taken by the UE Commission on the CFP, or to any economic or social matter associated with the fishing sector.

The Committee meets according to an annual work programme adopted in agreement with the Commission.

All decisions and positions are prepared and discussed in the four Working Groups and then taken in the ACFA Plenary and prepared in the Bureau, the steering group of ACFA.

The NGO Contact group

The NGOs are coordinated by the NGO Contact Group of ACFA.