Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy
Date: 2008-11-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU waters, common fisheries policy, fishing controls, information network, maritime surveillance

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 14.11.2008 
COM(2008) 718 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

on the proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a Community control system for 
ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

on the proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a Community control system for 
ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy 

1. 

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 

The  European  fisheries  control  policy  is  at  the  heart  of  the  CFP,  because  its  credibility 
depends  on  its  effective  application.  The  control  policy  has  been  subject  to  reforms,  in 
particular in 1993 when the current Regulation was adopted, then in 1998 to incorporate the 
control  of  fishing  effort  and  finally  in  2002,  at  the  time  of  the  reform  of  the  Common 
Fisheries  Policy  (CFP),  which  made  it  possible  to  clarify  the  responsibilities  between  the 
Commission  and  the  Member  States,  to  strengthen  cooperation  between  the  Member  States 
and to launch the creation of the Community Fisheries Control Agency.  

Despite certain progress, there is a general consensus that there are still many shortcomings in 
the CFP in general, notably overfishing due to an overcapacity of the EU fishing fleet, and in 
its control policy in particular. 

To address those shortcomings, the Commission has taken a number of initiatives, including 
the fleet restructuring package of July 2007, and the recently adopted reform of the fisheries 
control  mechanism  to  eliminate  illegal,  unreported  and  unregulated  fisheries  (IUU 
Regulation).  The  Commission  also  initiated  the  debate  on  how  to  overhaul  the  CFP  from 
2012. In the medium term however, the reform of the control system applicable to the CFP 
should substantially improve the efficiency of fisheries management in the Community.  

The  control  system  established  in  2002  suffers  from  serious  shortcomings  that  call  into 
question its overall effectiveness. As both the European Commission1 and the European Court 
of Auditors2 have highlighted, the current control system is inefficient, expensive, complex, 
and  it  does  not  produce  the  desired  results.  The  weakness  of  the  control  policy  reflects 
negatively  on  the  implementation  of  other  parts  of  the  CFP  and  undermines  the  success  of 
conservation  and  effort  management  initiatives.  Control  failures  thus  contribute  to  the 
negative  performance  of  the  CFP,  which  appears  unable  to  deliver  on  its  fundamental 
objective. Despite several years of implementation of the CFP in fact, the state of resources 
in  the  Community  waters  remains  worrying  and  several  stocks  are  exploited  beyond 
sustainability. The continued failure of the control policy will have significant consequences 
for the future of fisheries resources, the fishing industry and the regions dependent on fishing. 
It  is  within  this  context  that  the  Commission  proposes  to  substantially  reform  the  control 
system of the CFP, addressing all its shortcomings and modernising its approach. 

The  new  Control  Regulation  will  apply  to  all  fishing  and  fishing  related  activities  in 
Community  waters,  in  the  Member  States  and  to  activities  of  Community  fishing  vessels 
outside Community waters. It is complementary to the IUU Regulation and to the Regulation 

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COM(2007) 167. 
Special Report No 7/2007. 

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concerning  authorisations  for  fishing  activities  of  Community  fishing  vessels  outside 
Community waters. It ensures that there is no discrimination between Community and third 
country nationals. Those three Regulations will form the new Control framework 

This  Communication  describes  the  current  situation  and  challenges,  presents  the  core 
components of the new control strategy and outlines the measures proposed. 

1.1. 

The current situation 

A number of significant problems have been identified in the way the CFP control policy is 
applied which are related either to shortcomings in the control regime as such or to structural 
problems and challenges in the fishing sector. 

1.1.1.  Findings and recommendations of the Court of Auditors 

A recent assessment by the Court of Auditors3 of the control, inspection and sanction system 
applied to the CFP. According to its findings, the current situation is, i.a. characterized by an 
inadequate regulatory framework and insufficient procedures to exhaustively collect data and 
to detect inconsistencies between different data. Moreover, the national inspection systems are 
inadequate to prevent and to detect infringements and the divergences between them do not 
ensure  adequate  inspection  pressure  nor  do  they  optimise  inspection  activities.  Under  the 
current conditions and due to the limitation of its competences the Commission is not able to 
identify  systematically  errors  and  anomalies  in  the  data  forwarded  by  Member  States,  or  to 
supervise  national  control  systems  and  form  a  conclusive  opinion  relating  to  their  overall 
effectiveness.  

1.1.2.  Obsolete and incoherent approaches on control 

The  Community  control  system  is  limited  primarily  to  the  control  of  quota  uptakes  and 
technical  measures  in  the  fishing  process  and  neglects  the  other  aspects  of  the  CFP,  i.a. 
transports and markets. New needs have arisen with respect to control, which are not covered 
by  the  current  system,  in  particular  within  the  framework  of  fishing  effort  systems  and 
biologically  sensitive  fishing  zones.  The  major  efforts  undertaken  over  the  last  years  to 
achieve sustainable exploitation and long-term management of stocks need to be accompanied 
by a comprehensive and efficient control system in order for these efforts to bear fruit. 

1.1.3.  Overcapacity  

The limits of the control system are further compounded by the general context of persistent 
overcapacity of the Community fishing fleets. This structural problem lies at the root of the 
unprofitability  of  the  fishing  fleets  and  creates  incentives  for  non-compliance  with  the  CFP 
rules. For a large number of vessels, it is only possible to operate profitably by overshooting 
their  quotas  and  thereby  engaging  in  overfishing.  This  leads  to  a  vicious  circle  of  fishing 
vessels  overexploiting  fish  stocks  for  their  economic  survival  with  an  increased  economic 
pressure  to  fish  even  more  excessively  in  the  following  years  whereas  the  legal  fishing 
possibilities  and  quota  allocations,  as  a  consequence  of  this  overexploitation,  are  further 
reduced. Besides causing serious ecological consequences for the environment this results in 
lower prices for legal fish, thereby harming the fishermen operating lawfully in the short run 
and lowering market supplies in the long run.  

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Special Report No 7/2007. 

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1.2. 

Drivers for non-compliance 

Several  drivers  of  the  existing  culture  of  non-compliance  with  the  CFP  rules  have  been 
identified, which all contribute to the failure of the control system. 

Apart  from  the  overcapacity  of  the  fleet,  the  lack  of  compliance  by  the  fisheries  sector  is 
essentially driven by the fact that the risk of infringements being detected is rather low due to 
severe  shortcomings  in  national  control  systems.  Moreover,  the  frequency  and  intensity  of 
control and inspections differ considerably from one Member State to another and fishermen 
have to cope with differing procedures and practices. This creates uncertainty and undermines 
the credibility of inspection reports, therefore making systematic follow-up of infringements 
in  judicial  and  administrative  proceedings  more  difficult.  In  addition,  even  where  an 
infringement  is  detected,  there  is  no  guarantee  that  appropriate  sanctions  will  be  imposed 
since the sanction system in place is inadequate and not sufficiently deterrent.  

A second driver of non-compliance lies in the legal framework for the control policy itself and 
the respective roles of the Commission and the Member States therein. The legal framework 
has been amended several times over the last few years and is now far too complex and spread 
across several Regulations. This complexity and incoherence has led to a lack of clarity and 
legal certainty which makes it difficult for Member States or the fishing industry to accept the 
concept and comply with the rules. 

Third,  the  current  control  system  provides  for  only  limited  and  ineffective  control 
mechanisms  on  the  part  of  the  Commission.  The  CFP  is  an  exclusive  competence  of  the 
European Community, which sets the legal framework. Member States have to make sure that 
fishermen, processors and sellers comply with this legal framework. It is therefore the primary 
responsibility of the Member States to ensure effective control, inspection and enforcement of 
the  CFP  rules.  The  Commission’s  task,  as  the  guardian  of  the  Treaty,  is  to  ensure  that 
Member States fulfil their responsibilities. For this purpose, it supervises implementation of 
the CFP by the Member States. However, the means in the hands of the Commission to ensure 
that Member States meet their obligations are essentially applicable where there is a breach of 
Community  law.  In  addition,  those  proceedings  for  failure  to  fulfil  an  obligation  are  long, 
cumbersome and effective only exceptionally. 

2. 

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES 

The  various  failure  of  the  current  control  regime  is  not  without  a  cost.  Widespread  non-
compliance  and  repeated  infringements  of  the CFP  rules  have  multiple  detrimental  impacts, 
both in terms of severe environmental damages to the marine biodiversity and ecosystems and 
in terms of important economic and social consequences for the Community fishing industry, 
including the processing and marketing sector. 

Given  that  abundant  fish  stocks  basically  reflect  a  healthy  environment,  the  continuation  of 
the  current  situation  would  not  allow  the  full  replenishment  of  the  stocks.  On  the  contrary, 
under  current  conditions  fishing  over  the  top  of  what  has  legally  been  decided  or  what  the 
stocks  are  capable  to  bear  are  likely  to  remain  a  common  feature  of  the  Common  Fisheries 
Policy. Such increased pressure to fish outside legal limits would take a particular heavy toll 
on the ecosystem as TACs are calculated in a way to allow to only extract quantities that do 
not threaten the state of the stock in question. Extra outtakes by illegal catches undermine that 

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capacity and may even have consequences for other species that interlink with the stock that is 
targeted in IUU activities and affect the ecosystem even more. 

If the current situation continues, total catch volumes will be even lower and the individual 
fish will be less valuable than when a stock is be fished within sustainable limits. In addition 
to the loss of potential income, costs would increase as higher fishing effort will continue to 
be  necessary  to  catch  volumes  big  enough  to  create  revenue.  As  a  consequence  of  falling 
wages  and  low  returns  on  capitals  more  fishermen  will  have  to  leave  the  industry,  thereby 
increasing unemployment in coastal areas that often have to face less working opportunities 
than other areas. 

Against this background, a strong case can be made for an urgent and comprehensive reform 
of the CFP control system. 

3. 

A  NEW  APPROAH  TO  CONTROL:  THE  PROPOSAL  FOR  A  REFORM  OF  THE  CFP 
CONTROL POLICY 

The  general  objective  of  the  proposed  reform  is  to  put  in  place  a  comprehensive  integrated 
and  uniform  policy  for  the  control  of  fishing  activities  in  Community  waters  in  order  to 
ensure the effective implementation of the CFP. Overall, the new approach to control should 
be  based  on  simplification,  standardisation,  increased  cost  effectiveness  and  reduction  of 
administrative  burden.  This  proposal  is  part  of  the  Commission’s  simplification  rolling 
programme (SRP) of the “Community strategy for simplifying the regulatory environment"4 
as  it  will  concentrate  control  provisions  that  are  currently  spread  in  a  wide  number  of 
overlapping  and  complex  legal  texts  in  one  legal  instrument.  This  will  contribute  to  a 
rationalisation of the control system. 

3.1. 

A new, common approach to control and inspection 

The  proposal  defines  the  general  concept  of  inspections  for  all  catches  at  all  stages  of  the 
chain  -  at  sea,  in  port,  on  transports  and  markets  –  and  introduces  harmonised  inspection 
procedures  with  a  view  to  ensuring  uniformity  in  the  implementation  of  the  new  control 
regime. The first main thrust in this context is the introduction of a systematic risk analysis 
approach and the introduction of a comprehensive traceability system as the basis for fisheries 
control.  The  new  approach  will  make  the  best  possible  use  of  modern  technologies.  In 
particular data will have to be automated as far as possible and be subject to comprehensive 
and systematic cross-checks with a view to identifying areas where there is a particularly high 
risk  of  irregularities.  By  proceeding  this  way  the  control  resources  will  be  effectively 
concentrated  on  the  areas  of  risks.  Moreover,  the  use  of  modern  technologies  will  ease  the 
administrative burden both for fishermen and for the authorities, in particular with regard to 
managing quotas, while at the same time providing a global view of the situation of fishing 
activities  almost  in  real  time  and  in  a  cost  and  time  efficient  way.  For  this  purpose  the 
proposal  extends  the  use  of  the  Vessel  Monitoring  System  (VMS),  the  Automated 
Identification  System  (AIS),  the  Electronic  Reporting  System  (ERS),  the  Vessel  Detection 
System (VDS) and other new technologies.  

To answer new needs on the control of specific fisheries, specific control measures applicable 
for  multiannual  plans,  marine  protected  areas  and  discards  will  be  established  and  a 

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permanent  mechanism  of  real  time  closures  of  fisheries  under  the  responsibility  of  the 
Member  States  will  be  introduced.  Since  the  limitation  of  effort  as  a  supplementary 
management tool is becoming more and more important, the monitoring of engine power, e.g. 
by certification, will be an integral part of the proposal. Finally, as recreational fisheries have 
an  increasing  influence  on  fish  stocks  and  the  marine  environment,  the  proposal  envisages 
control measures for this activity, such as the registration of catches. 

Actions proposed by the Commission: 

Systematic risk analysis as a basis for fisheries control; 

Strategic programming, tactical targeting and sampling strategy;  

Use of modern technologies and comprehensive data validation systems; 

Standardised  and  coordinated  inspection  activities  and  procedures  at  sea  and  on  land 
(including transport and market); 

Introduction of a comprehensive traceability system; 

Specific  control  measures  for  multiannual  plans,  discards,  marine  protected  areas  and  real 
time closure of fisheries; 

Measures for the control of recreational fishing. 

3.2.  Moving towards a culture of compliance  

An important cornerstone of the proposed Regulation will also be to influence the behaviour 
of  all  stakeholders  involved  in  the  full  range  of  fishing  activities  (catching,  processing, 
distribution and marketing). Compliance with the policies and regulations of the CFP should 
ideally  be  achieved  through  not  only  monitoring and control  activities, but as a  result of an 
overall  culture  of  compliance  where  all  parts of  the  industry  understand  and  accept  that  the 
respect of applicable rules is in their own long term interest.  

The Commission wants to concentrate the CFP control measures, which are currently spread 
in  many  different  texts,  with  the  objective  of  simplifying  and  rationalising  the  legislative 
framework. This will be done by establishing the principles in the proposal itself while laying 
down  the  more  technical  and  detailed  matters  in  implementing  regulations.  This  will 
significantly improve the legal framework leading to more clarity and credibility of the CFP 
rules. 

Moreover,  a  regime  of  harmonised  and  proportionate  administrative  sanctions  must  be 
established  if  we  are  serious  about  ensuring  an  equal  and  effective  application  of  the  CFP 
rules.  The  overriding  principle  in  this  context  must  be  that  a  sanction  must  remove  any 
economic benefit that may result from the infringement and create a sufficient deterrent on a 
potential offender. In this respect the proposal firstly defines serious infringements in addition 
to those already defined in the proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a Community 
system  to  prevent,  deter  and  eliminate  illegal,  unreported  and  unregulated  fishing5.  It  then 
establishes levels for the minimum and maximum amount of fines to be applied to natural and 
legal  persons.  Furthermore,  the  proposal  creates  a  penalty  point  system  for  infringements 
carried out by the holder of a fishing permit comparable to similar systems that exit in many 
countries for traffic violations. In cases of repeated breaches of the CFP rules this mechanism 

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should lead to the suspension or, in particularly serious circumstances and taking into account 
the principle of proportionality, to the withdrawal of the fishing permit. 

Cooperation  between  Member  States  is  foreseen  both  on  the  operational  and  the 
administrative  level  with  a  view  of  enhancing  both  control  measures  and  infringement 
procedures.  The  reform  extends  the  possibilities  for  Member  States  to  inspect  each  other 
vessels  in  all  Community  waters.  The  Commission  proposes  a  systematic  exchange  of 
information on possible infringements either on request or on a spontaneous basis.  

Regarding technical matters the proposal follows a modern approach on the transfer of data 
and the exchange of information, both between Member States and with the Commission or 
the CFCA. It is foreseen that in the future, each Member State stores all relevant information 
and control data on a national website, and depending on the nature of the information, this 
will be stored either on a public or a secured part of the website, to which the Commission, 
the  CFCA  and  the  other  Member  States  will  have  remote  access.  This  will  significantly 
facilitate and speed up the access to data for all officials involved in the control system while 
respecting all existing obligations on confidentiality and the protection of personal data.  

In order to enhance cooperation it is also necessary to amend the mandate of the CFCA which 
became operational in 2007 and which up to now does not have any real powers of its own in 
relation to control and enforcement of the CFP rules. Its future mandate therefore will cover 
audits  and  inspections  of  national  control  systems  and  its  mission  will  be  extended  to  the 
organisation  of  operational  cooperation  between  the  Member  States  covering  control  and 
inspections at all stages of the chain up to the retailer. Furthermore, the CFCA would be able 
to assist Member States in order to improve their control systems. For this purpose it could 
carry out risk analyses and verifications of control data. The CFCA would be enabled to set 
up  an  emergency  unit  when  a  serious  risk  to  the  CFP  has  been  identified  which  otherwise 
could  not  be  tackled  adequately.  It  will  also  play  a  leading  role  in  the  development  of  an 
integrated EU maritime surveillance network, by making available its data available to other 
EU institutions and bodies. 

Actions proposed by the Commission: 

Simplifying and rationalising the legal framework; 

Introducing  deterrent  and  harmonised  sanctions  (including  establishing  a  penalty  point 
system); 

Improving cooperation between Member States and with the Commission; 

Reviewing the mandate of the Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA). 

3.3. 

Effective application of CFP rules 

The  reform  also  aims  to  clearly  define  the  roles  and  responsibilities  of  Member  States,  the 
Commission  and  the  CFCA.  This  is  important  in  order  to  rationalise  procedures,  avoid 
substitution  and  ensure  that  the  Commission  adheres  to  its  core  activity  of  controlling  and 
verifying  the  implementation  of  the  rules  of  the  CFP  by  Member  States  without  any  longer 
carrying  out  micro  management  decisions.  Moreover,  the  capacity  of  the  Commission  to 
ensure  the  respect  of  Community  law  by  Member  States  has  to  be  strengthened.  For  that 
reason  the  Commission  must  be  able  to  intervene  effectively  and  proportionately  in  cases 
where shortcomings in some Member States threaten the uniform application of CFP rules. 

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Commission  inspectors  will  be  given  the  same  powers  as  national  inspectors.  Besides 
programmed  inspections  they  will  be  able  to  carry  out  inspections  on  their  own  initiative 
without prior notice. In particular where there are reasons to believe that irregularities occur in 
the  application  of  the  CFP  rules,  the  intention  is  that  the  Commission  can  carry  out 
independent inspections and audits of the control systems of the Member States.  

As  a  follow  up  of  such  actions,  when  failures  have  been  identified,  the  Member  State 
concerned  will  be  given  the  possibility  to  remedy  those  shortcomings  and  to  remove  the 
irregularities.  For  this  purpose  a  specific  action  plan  can  be  set  up  by  the  Commission  in 
cooperation  with  the  Member  State  concerned  to  identify  the  necessary  measures  to  fix  the 
situation.  

Where  there  are  strong  indications  that  a  Member  State  does  not  take  applicable  measures 
after the exhaustion of fishing opportunities leading to a serious threat to the conservation of 
the resources, the Commission will be able to close the fishery concerned on its own initiative 
after consultation of the Member State concerned.  

Finally, the reform will introduce effective measures enabling the Commission to ensure the 
respect of the CFP obligations by Member States. In case of poor management there will be 
the  possibility  to  impose  financial  measures  such  as  the  suspending  assistance  from  the 
European  Fisheries  Fund  or  of  the  Community  contribution  to  the  Member  States'  control 
expenditure. Moreover, where a Member State has overfished its quota, the Commission must 
have the competence to deduct overfished quantities from the annual quota of the following 
years  including  a  deterrent  penalizing  factor  or  to  deny  transfers  or  exchanges  of  quotas.  A 
package of emergency measures for cases where there are serious threats to the conservation 
of  the  resource,  such  as  the  suspension  of  fishing  activities  or  the  prohibition  of  landing  or 
placing on the market of fish and fishery products, concludes this chapter. 

Actions proposed by the Commission: 

Redefining and strengthening the powers of the Commission and the Commission inspectors;  

Action plans for deficient Member States to improve their implementation of the CFP; 

Extending the possibilities for the Commission to close a fishery; 

Possible financial measures against Member States in case of inadequate management; 

More flexibility for the Commission to proceed to deductions of quotas and the  
denial of quota transfers and exchanges in case of inadequate management;  

Package of emergency measures. 

4. 

CONSULTATION OF STAKEHOLDERS 

In preparation of the proposal a broad and diverse consultation process with Member States 
and stakeholders took place in order to receive their views on the necessity of a reform. The 
issue was discussed at a meeting with Member States' Directors-General for Fisheries on 15 
January  2008  and  at  an  informal  meeting  with  Fisheries  Ministers  on  18  February  2008. 
Member States broadly supported the analysis of the Commission on the current situation and 
on the necessity of a fundamental change. Representatives of the Regional Advisory Councils 
(RACs)  and  the  Advisory  Committee  for  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture  (ACFA)  have  been 

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consulted in a one day seminar on 10 April 2008. Moreover, several meetings with Member 
States' fisheries control experts took place in February, April and May 2008. 

A public internet consultation was carried out from February to May 2008 in order to involve 
the  public  and  to  allow  all  interested  parties  to  contribute  to  the  discussion,  in  particular  to 
assess  the  impact  of  a  reform  on  operators  and  administrations.  25  contributions  were 
received  from  a  wide  range  of  stakeholders  including  i.a.  associations  from  the  industrial 
sector,  fishermen,  producers,  fisheries  control  technology  stakeholders,  non-governmental 
organisations  (NGOs)  and  individuals.  This  initiative  of  the  Commission  and  its  main 
objectives were widely endorsed by the participants and many contributed with valuable and 
innovative proposals. All agreed on the need for a reform of the control system, confirming 
that the objectives set out by the Commission in the consultation paper are the main points of 
interest in the overall assessment of the reform.  

5. 

EXPECTED IMPACTS OF THE REFORM AND TIMEFRAME 

The  proposed  reform  will  create  a  truly  global  and  integrated  CFP  control  system  as  it  will 
encompass  all  control  issues,  from  the  net  to  the  plate.  It  will  not  only  result  in  more 
standardized  national  control  procedures  and  improve  the  control  capacity  and  the 
management of fisheries resources, but additionally it will entail certain necessary structural 
adjustments of the Community fishing fleets to bring them more in line with long term lawful 
fishing possibilities. This will favour the establishment of an EU level playing field which is 
strongly requested both by Member States and the fishing sector alike. As the future control 
system  will  contribute  to  ensuring  that  only  legal  fish  will  be  caught,  the  lack  of  available 
quotas  will  entail  a  concentration  of  the  fleet  by  market  forces  until  it  reaches  a  level  that 
allows all remaining vessels to make a living on the basis of lawful fishing opportunities. The 
vicious  circle  of  fishing  vessels  having  to  fish  excessively  for  their  economic  survival,  as 
elaborated  before,  would  be  broken.  In  the  long  run  the  adjustment  of  the  fishing  fleet  will 
also  bring  about  a  reduction  of  control  and  surveillance  costs  as  the  likelihood  of 
infringements  will  be  lower  when  the  fishing  fleet  is  able  to  generate  sufficient  economic 
income on the basis of legal catches. 

Moreover the new control regime will substantially reduce administrative burdens both for the 
industry  and  the  administrations  since it  will ease reporting obligations for the industry and 
the control authorities. It will also simplify and improve data management of Member States 
since it will be widely based on electronic systems in the future. 

Fishing  at  a  lower  rate  within  the  limits  of  established  TACs  will  deliver  significant 
environmental benefits in terms of stress on fish stocks. The growth in size of fish populations 
as they recover will lead to an increase in the age distribution of fish both in the population 
and in the catch. As the Commission will be able to react faster and better to shortcomings, in 
particular with respect to over-utilisation of fishing quotas, the environment will be less likely 
to  be  affected  by  irresponsible  fishing  behaviour.  Moreover,  as  a  side  effect  of  the  reform, 
science will get more reliable data in a much shorter time frame, permitting a better scientific 
advice leading to better and quicker management decisions. Since this will lead to an increase 
in  the  biomass  and  therefore  to  more  and  better  fishing  opportunities  in  the  medium  term, 
both environmental and economic improvements should be realised as a result of the new and 
comprehensive  control  system.  The  overall  benefits  are  also  likely  to  have  a  strong  carry 
through  to  increased  employment,  particularly  in  the  processing  and  ancillary  sub-sectors. 

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This will contribute to restore the confidence of the stakeholders and the general public in the 
CFP.  

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6. 

CONCLUSION  

Persistent  overfishing  and  non-respect  of  the  CFP  rules  in  recent  decades  have  led  to  a 
dramatic  situation  of  depleted  stocks  and  poor  economic  performance  of  the  sector.  The 
current problems arising from non-compliance, the damage it has caused to fish stocks and the 
lack of economic and social stability have been recognised by both the Member States and by 
the fishing sector itself, who both broadly favour a reform of the current system. Even though 
this reform will require some structural adjustments in the first years of its application, it will 
lead  to  more  efficient  and  effective  fishing  structures  in  the  long  run.  The  increased  clarity 
and consistency of the control system and the clarification and standardisation of the roles of 
the different parties involved will provide more transparency. It will therefore lead to a wide 
support  and  a  broader  confidence  among  the  fishing  industry  and  the  consumers  which  is 
necessary  for  the  success  of  the  CFP.  A  better confidence  of  the  public  in  the  CFP  as  such 
will in turn affect the behaviour and confidence of consumers as they will be more convinced 
that they are buying a sustainable product.  

In conclusion, there are substantial benefits to be gained at all levels, both for the environment 
and from a comprehensive and coherent system of control and inspection for all stakeholders. 
Such a system will ensure a level playing field throughout the Community. The Commission 
therefore calls on the Council and the European Parliament to endorse the proposed reform as 
outlined in this Communication. It further calls all the European Institutions and stakeholders 
to join with it in order to work together to meet this challenge. 

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