In response to the admission of “three fishing interest organisations” to the Other Interest Group of the South-West Waters Advisory Council (SWW AC), environmental NGOs wrote to the Commission to announce the suspension of their activities.
Advisory Councils were a product of the 2002 CFP reform and they provide decision-makers and the EU institutions with recommendations and advice relating to fisheries policy in the waters each of the advisory bodies represent. At present there are ten Advisory Councils.
In the latest CFP reform it was decided that fishing representatives, excluding recreational fishing, would comprise 60% of the ACs and 40% of the seats would go to “Other Interest Groups”.
As a result of the admission of these three new organisations, the signatories of the letter argue that the functioning of the AC has been crippled. They represent the fishing industry and as such should be designated within the 60% grouping.
These organisations argue that since July, when these new organisations joined, the “advice coming out of the SWW AC no longer represents a balanced stakeholder view as it lacks the voice of environmental NGOs”.
In recent years the EU has attempted to devolved fisheries management to a regional level, with the Commission taking a step back in drafting rules and legislation. This has meant that ACs now represent the only public consultation process before a regional delegated act comes into being. The importance of effective governance structures has now grown and a constructive solution whereby effective and balanced advice is provided is essential.