EC establishing Regional Advisory Councils under the Common Fisheries Policy - Main contents

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dossier	COM(2006)732 - Amendment of Decision 2004/585/EC establishing Regional Advisory Councils under the Common Fisheries Policy.
source	COM(2006)732
date	27-11-2006

The Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) were established as a result of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), adopted in 2002. Council Decision 2004/585/EC defines a general framework for the functioning of the Regional Advisory Councils to ensure a consistent and balanced approach amongst them. The possibility of granting Community financial aid to RACs is one of the aspects included in this Decision.

Regional Advisory Councils aim at involving stakeholders at an early stage in the decision-making process of the Common Fisheries Policy. Stakeholders' involvement is an essential pillar of the CFP reform and is key for its successful implementation. Reinforcing good governance in fisheries will result in greater compliance by fishermen of the CFP rules. Taking into account that RACs have been created by Council Regulation 2371/2002 i and that the experience of the RACs proves that these new bodies are contributing positively to the development of the CFP (since their establishment, the Commission has received more than forty recommendations from RACs), they should be considered as bodies pursuing an aim of general European interest in the meaning of Article 162(b) of Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities i.

Defining RACs as bodies pursuing an aim of European general interest would provide them with a stable financial framework enhancing their capacity to operate effectively. Furthermore, experience has shown that the existing Regional Advisory Councils have difficulties with the current decreasing financial framework which will seriously hinder their ability to meet their objectives in the near future. The new financial modalities will also simplify the management of the grants by merging the current two grants into a single grant for each Regional Advisory Council.

Council Decision 2004/585/EC would need to be amended accordingly by declaring them as bodies pursuing an aim of European general interest, with the result that Regional Advisory Councils would receive a fixed financial contribution from the Community budget.