IP/06/1312
Brussels, 4 October 2006
EU and Norway agree on closer collaboration on fisheries control Earlier this evening, representatives of the European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, and of the government of Norway met in Oslo to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries. The text sets out a framework for mutual control and enforcement between EU Member States and Norway which will not only facilitate the management of shared fish stocks, but will also make a major contribution to both parties' fight against Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing. Under the Common Fisheries Policy, control and enforcement remain the responsibility of the EU Member States, and a number of Member States have bilateral cooperation arrangements in this field with Norway. The purpose of the Memorandum is therefore to establish common guidelines for such arrangements which will ensure a practical approach to the control of both EU and Norwegian vessels in the waters of the other party. Future bilateral arrangements will be based on the terms of the MoU, and existing arrangements will be modified if necessary to take these new criteria into account. EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Joe Borg, who will go to Oslo tomorrow to attend the Maritime Industries Forum conference, commented, "Illegal fishing activities are one of the major challenges facing both Norway and the European Union. By joining forces, we increase our capacity to combat them. We have a long history of cooperation with Norway, and this development is further proof of our joint commitment to ensuring sustainable fisheries."
Norwegian Minister for Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Helga Pedersen said: ”We are very happy that we have been able to finalise this agreement. Enhanced cooperation between Norway, the EU and EU Member States would make the fight against illegal fishing practices much more effective. The agreement paves the way for enhanced cooperation between the partners".
Cooperation on fisheries control through existing bilateral arrangements between Norway and individual EU Member States has been highly beneficial for all concerned. However, there is a need to establish practical arrangements for the control of the fisheries of the two Parties in the waters of either Party. The European Commission therefore suggested that a framework should be established laying down guidelines for future bilateral agreements. Practical arrangements made under the umbrella of the MoU will, of course, remain the responsibility of the individual Member States.
Norway and the EU are party to a number of international agreements, both bilateral and multilateral, under which they are obliged to work for the sustainable management of various fisheries resources, whether in the waters of the EU and Norway, or in international waters. The MoU is designed to spell out how best Norway and the EU Member States can work together to carry out the control and enforcement measures implied by those commitments. In particular, the MoU recognises that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fisheries are a major problem for both flag States and coastal States responsible for the management of the relevant stocks and that that there are significant benefits to both sides in sharing information as well as in enhancing their cooperation on issues of mutual interest.
The MoU addresses a number of specific actions which should be addressed in any future (or existing) bilateral Member State arrangements with Norway, including
exchange of information on landings; exchange of officials, including inspectors; exchange of information on inspections; cooperation on the planning of aerial surveillance of fishing activities; exchange of information on aircraft sightings of fishing vessels; cooperation on the training of officials; arrangement of meetings between officials from the individual Member States and Norway in order to discuss surveillance and enforcement issues.
Any existing bilateral arrangements between the individual Member States and Norway should be modified to take into account the terms of the new MoU. Future arrangements based on the MoU will continue to be signed by the control authorities of the relevant Member States and Norway.
