REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 on the submission of statistical data on landings of fishery products in Member States
Date: 2016-05-04
Institutions: European Commission, Eurostat
Subjects: EU Member State, EU statistics, data collection, data transmission, fishing statistics, quantity of fish landed

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.5.2016  COM(2016) 239 final   REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 on the submission of statistical data on landings of fishery products in Member States  
 
 
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 on the submission of statistical 
data on landings of fishery products in Member States 

1. INTRODUCTION 

Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council1 
(the Landings Regulation) lays down the following requirement:  

The Commission shall, by 19 January 2010 and every three years thereafter, submit an assessment report to 
the European Parliament and the Council on the statistical data compiled pursuant to this Regulation and 
in  particular  on  their  relevance  and  quality.  The  report  shall  also  analyse  the  cost-effectiveness  of  the 
system  used  for  the  collection  and  processing  of  statistical  data  and  shall  put  forward  best  practices  for 
reducing the workload for Member States and enhancing the usefulness and quality of the statistical data. 

This  is  the  third  assessment  report  that  the  Commission  has  submitted  to  the  European 
Parliament and the Council. The first report was published as COM(2010) 675 final and the 
second as COM(2014) 240 final. 

2. COVERAGE AND CONTENT 

The Landings Regulation requires Member States and EEA countries to submit statistical data 
on an annual basis and within six months of the end of the reference calendar year. They are 
required to provide data on total quantities and unit values of the fishery products landed in 
their territory by EU and EFTA vessels. Data are to be broken down by: i) the flag state of the 
fishing  vessels  carrying  out  landings  (as  per  the  codes  set  out  in  Annex  II  to  the  Landings 
Regulation); ii) the ‘presentation’ of the products (Annex III of the Regulation); and iii) the 
intended use of the products (Annex IV to the Regulation). 

This Report assesses the progress made by Member States and EFTA countries with respect 
to the provisions of the Landings Regulation, namely in terms of the completeness and quality 
of the data provided. 

2.1. Data collection and sources 

Administrative  data  appear  to  be  the  main  source  of  statistics  on  landings  with  almost  all 
countries  collecting  logbooks,  sales  notes,  and  landing,  transhipment  and  takeover 
declarations.  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  1224/20092  and  Commission  Implementing 

1 Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on the 
submission  of  statistical  data  on  landings  of  fishery  products  in  Member  States  and  repealing  Council 
Regulation (EEC) No 1382/91 (OJ L 403/1, 30.12.2006, p. 1). 

2 Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Community control system for 
ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, 

2 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
Regulation (EU) No 404/20113 require the skippers of vessels over 10 m in length to keep a 
logbook  of  their  operations  and  to  submit  the  information  they  have  recorded  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  within  24  hours,  even  when  there  are  no  catches.  Logbooks  contain  data 
recorded by skippers during their vessels’ operations and must include an estimate of the live 
weight  of  the  catch.  They  are  particularly  useful  for  attributing  catches  to  fishing  areas  and 
calculating levels of fishing activity and allow cross-checking against other data sources. For 
vessels under 10 m, Member States use forms (e.g. catch reports and logbooks), sales notes or 
sampling techniques to monitor fishing activity. 

Sales  notes  are  submitted  to  the  authorities  responsible  for  the  initial  sale  of  the  fish.  They 
include information on the quantity of each species landed, the form in which the products are 
presented, the value of each product and the vessel making the landing. 

The widespread use of electronic reporting has facilitated and improved data collection, as has 
having regulated submission deadlines. Data are being sent to the responsible institutions on 
time,  and  in  most  cases  include  all  the  information  required.  In  addition  to  logbooks,  sales 
notes and landing declarations, some countries also collect other information, for example via 
the  vessel  monitoring  system  (VMS),  which  allows  fishing  areas  to  be  identified  more 
accurately. As a result, full coverage of the fishing activity taking place in all fleet segments 
and  fishing  areas  is  ensured,  as  almost  all  countries  are  able  to  rely  on  administrative  data 
sources to carry out a full census of activity. 

In  cases  where  the  administrative  information  available  is  insufficient,  surveys  are  used  to 
supplement (France and Malta) or substitute (Greece and Italy) for administrative data. These 
cases are described in more detail in the following section. 

2.2. Data collection systems in Member States and EFTA countries 

Belgium — The Sea Fisheries Service, part of the Agriculture and Fisheries Policy Division, 
is  responsible  for  data  collection.  Sales  notes  are  the  main  source  of  information  and  are 
submitted  electronically  on  the  same  day  from  the  three  main  auctions  (Zeebrugge,  Ostend 
and Nieuwpoort). The exception to this is data on sales from small vessels, which are allowed 
to  sell  directly  to  the  public  at  Ostend  (rather  than  at  the  auction)  but  which  are,  however, 
required  to  report  weights  and  prices  to  the  Ostend  auction.  Logbooks  are  sent  within  48 
hours and are used to attribute the amounts sold and the fishing activity to the various fishing 
areas (the main areas being the North Sea and the Eastern Channel). 

(EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) 
No 388/2006,  (EC)  No 509/2007,  (EC)  No 676/2007,  (EC)  No 1098/2007,  (EC)  No 1300/2008,  (EC) 
No 1342/2008 and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006 (OJ 
L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 1). 

3 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 of 8 April 2011 laying down detailed rules for the 
implementation  of  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  1224/2009  establishing  a  Community  control  system  for 
ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (OJ L 112/1, 30.4.2011, p. 1). 

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Bulgaria  —  The  National  Agency  of  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture  is  responsible  for  landings 
data. Data is gathered from administrative sources: any person engaged in commercial fishing 
is  required  to  submit  logbooks  and  landing  declarations  (even  where  the  vessel  is  under 
10 m);  any  person  engaged  in  the  first  sale  of  fish  is  required  to  submit  sales  notes,  from 
which  price  information  is  then  derived.  The  logbooks  and  sales  notes  received  by  the 
National  Agency  of  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture  have  to  be  entered  in  the  system  within  15 
days of the data being submitted. Bulgarian vessels fish exclusively in the Black Sea. 

Cyprus  —  The  Department  of  Fisheries  and  Marine  Research  (part  of  the  Ministry  of 
Agriculture,  Rural  Development  and  Environment)  is  responsible  for  collecting  data  on 
catches and landings. Vessels of up to 10 m in length are required to submit sales receipts in 
addition to sales notes (for fishermen selling their landings directly) and landing declarations. 
Paper logbooks are collected for vessels between 10 m and 12 m, while vessels above 12 m are 
equipped  with  the  VMS  and  use  the  associated  electronic  reporting  system  (ERS)  to  report 
sales  notes. The  various  data  sources  are  not  currently linked  and  data  is  stored in  different 
databases. There is a clear need for an integrated system, and thus for the technical assistance 
that would be required to develop such a system. Cypriot vessels operate in the Central and 
Eastern Mediterranean. 

Denmark  —  The  Danish  AgriFish  Agency,  which  sits  within  the  Ministry  of  Environment 
and Food, is responsible for landings. First-hand buyers must be registered and must submit 
sales notes. Most of the major fish buyers submit their sales notes online on a daily basis. All 
Danish vessels are required to fill in logbooks (and vessels above 12 m must keep electronic 
logbooks). Vessels under 10 m may be exempted from keeping a logbook, provided fishermen 
have signed a “declaration on fishing area”. The ERS is fully implemented and vessels over 
12 m are required to use the VMS. Danish vessels are mainly active in the North Sea. Data are 
taken from administrative sources, but are ‘frozen’, in agreement with the national statistical 
institute, before being compiled and sent to Eurostat. 

Germany  —  Data  on  landings  are  the  responsibility  of  the  Federal  Agency  for  Agriculture 
and Food. Data are from administrative sources and are collected via logbooks. Information 
on  the  quality,  presentation  and  price  of  the  products  is  obtained  from  landing  declarations 
and sales notes. German vessels fish mainly in the western waters, the North Sea, the Baltic, 
Greenland and the Norwegian waters. 

Estonia —The Ministry for Rural Affairs, the national statistical institute, the Ministry for the 
Environment and the Environmental Inspectorate are involved in data collection. The national 
statistical  institute and the Ministry of Rural Affairs are responsible for editing and sending 
the data. Data are from administrative sources, including logbooks, landing declarations, sales 
notes  and  transhipment  and  transport  documents.  Vessels  under  12 m,  or  under  15 m  and 
exclusively  operating  in  the  Estonia  territorial  sea,  fill  in  national  paper  logbooks.  Vessels 
above  12 m  are  required  to  submit  logbooks  using  the  ERS.  First-hand  buyers  of  fish  are 
required  to  submit  sales  notes  electronically  to  the  Ministry  for  Rural  Affairs.  Estonian 
vessels fish in the Baltic Sea, the Northwest Atlantic and inland waters. 

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Ireland — The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority is solely responsible for data on landings. 
Data  on  catches  are  taken  from  electronic  logbooks  for  vessels  above  10 m  and  from  sales 
notes for vessels under 10 m. The Irish fleet is active in the Northeast Atlantic. 

Greece  —  Administrative  data  on  average  landing  prices  and  values  are  collected  by  the 
Ministry  of  Reconstruction  of  Production,  Energy  and  Environment.  They  are  sent  to  the 
national  statistical  institute  for  editing  and  processing.  Data  on  catches  are  collected  by  the 
national statistical institute via a monthly statistical survey. The survey involves a full census 
of  overseas fishing  activity (vessels operating in  the  Eastern  Central  Atlantic)  and  a  sample 
survey of the open sea and coastal fishing activity of vessels operating in the Mediterranean 
Sea.  A  method  of  one-stage  stratified  random  sampling  is  used  due  to  the  very  high  non-
response  rate  (50 %).  Catches  from  vessels  with  engines  under  20  horsepower  are  not 
included.  Data  are  sent  to  the  Directorate-General  for  Maritime  Affairs  and  Fisheries  (DG 
MARE)  by  the  Ministry  of  Reconstruction  of  Production,  Energy  and  Environment  and  to 
Eurostat by the national statistical institute. 

Spain  —  The  Fisheries  General  Secretariat  and  the  sub-Directorate  General  for  Statistics 
(both part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment) are responsible for data on 
landings.  The  Fisheries  General  Secretariat  sends  data  to  DG  MARE,  while  the  sub-
Directorate  General  for  Statistics  sends  data  to  Eurostat.  Data  are  extracted  from  the 
‘Maritime  fisheries  catches  and  landings  statistics’.  This  gathers  information  from  landings 
and  transhipment  declarations  (for  vessels  above  10 m),  first  sales  notes,  total  allowable 
catches (TACs) and quotas, and from producers’ organisations. The data sent to DG MARE 
are  purely  administrative  whereas  those  provided  to  Eurostat  have  already  undergone  some 
statistical  processing.  The  Spanish  fleet  operates  in  all  fishing  areas  covered  by  the  EU 
Regulation, and in other regions. 

France — The Directorate for Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture has overall responsibility 
for  data  collection.  The  Statistical  Bureau  of  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture,  acting  under  the 
authority of the Directorate for Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture, is responsible for editing 
and sending the data to the Commission. The national agency FranceAgriMer is responsible 
for compiling sales notes and entering paper declarations. Data on tropical tuna fisheries are 
supplied  to  the  Directorate  for  Maritime  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture  by  the  Institute  for 
Research and Development. Administrative sources (logbooks, landing declarations and sales 
notes  and  data  from  the  VMS)  provide  good  coverage  of  fishing  activity  in  the  Atlantic. 
Incomplete  administrative  data  on  the  Mediterranean  and  the  overseas  territories  are 
supplemented with data collected from sample surveys, but these data are not yet included in 
the  data  sent  to  Eurostat.  France  reported  having  encountered  problems  with  missing  or 
erroneous primary data and acknowledged the need to improve data quality. Almost 80 % of 
catches are made in the North-East Atlantic. The other main fishing areas are the West Indian 
Ocean, the Central-East Atlantic and the Mediterranean. 

Croatia — The Fisheries Directorate in the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for data on 
landings.  Administrative  data  are  collected  from  logbooks  and  landing  declarations  (for 
trawlers and purse seiners, and vessels above 10 m), catch reports (for vessels under 10 m), the 
VMS (for vessels above 15 m) and sales notes for fresh fish. Croatian vessels operate in the 
Northern and Central Adriatic Seas. 

5 

 
 
Italy  —  The  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  Food  and  Forestry  policies,  the  National  Research 
Council and ITAFISHSTAT (a national consortium for the development of fisheries statistics) 
are  responsible  for  data  on  landings.  The  National  Research  Council  and  ITAFISHSTAT 
carry  out  a  multivariate  sample  survey  of  fishing  activity  in  the  Mediterranean,  the 
methodological aspects of which were set in conjunction with the national statistical institute. 
Vessels authorised to fish for bluefin tuna are excluded from the sample and report data to the 
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry policies using logbooks. Census data on fishing in 
the  Eastern  Central  Atlantic  and  Western  Indian  Ocean  previously  provided  by  the  national 
statistical institute are no longer being submitted. At the time of the previous report, Italy had 
proposed making changes to the method used for collecting these data, in order to overcome 
the problem of very low response rates. As yet, however, no changes have been made. 

Latvia  —  The  State  Environment  Service,  which  is  part  of  the  Ministry  for  environmental 
protection and regional development, is responsible for collecting data from landings and first 
sales notes and for aggregating data for the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga. The Institute of 
Food  Safety,  Animal  Health  and  the  Environment  is  also  involved  in  the  collection  and 
processing of data for these areas, and also for high-sea fisheries in the Atlantic. In addition, it 
provides  the  Department  of  Fisheries  (within  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture)  with  the  data  for 
aggregation.  Overall  responsibility  for  data  quality  lies  with  the  Central  Statistical  Bureau, 
with the State Environment Service and the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and the 
Environment  also  ensuring  quality  within  their  respective  areas  of  competence.  The 
Department of Fisheries is responsible for the final cross-checking of data and for submitting 
data to the Commission. Data are from administrative sources, including logbooks, sales notes 
and landing declarations. All fishing vessels above 12 m use the ERS and are equipped with 
the VMS. Data on catches by value and per species collected by the Central Statistical Bureau 
are  cross-checked  against  the  administrative  data  from  the  Department  of  Fisheries.  The 
Latvian  fishing  fleet  is  active  in  the  Baltic  Sea  and  the  North  East  and  Eastern  Central 
Atlantic. 

Lithuania —The Fisheries Department in the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for data 
collection.  The  main  data  sources  are  logbooks,  sales  notes  and  landing  declarations. 
Lithuania uses an integrated automated system for processing and validating data on landings. 
Lithuanian vessels fish in the Northeast and Northwest Atlantic, Eastern Central Atlantic and 
South Pacific. 

Malta  —  The  Department  of  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture,  which  is  part  of  the  Ministry  for 
Sustainable  Development,  Environment  and  Climate  Change,  is  responsible  for  data 
collection. Data are sent to Eurostat by the national statistical institute and to DG MARE by 
the  Department  of  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture.  A  census  approach  is  used  for  vessels  above 
10 m,  with  data  being  collected  using  logbooks  and  sales  vouchers.  Data  on  vessels  under 
10 m is collected via a small-scale multivariate sampling survey. Maltese vessels are active in 
the Mediterranean Sea. 

Netherlands  —  The  Fisheries  Department  of  the  Netherlands  Enterprise  Agency  is 
responsible  for  collecting  data  from  the  Netherlands  Food  and  Consumer  Product  Safety 
Authority,  and  subsequently  sends  the  required  data  to  DG  MARE.  The  national  statistical 
institute is responsible for editing and submitting data to Eurostat. Logbooks, sales notes and 
6 

 
 
data on catches are obtained from the Fisheries Registration and Information System, which is 
maintained  by  the  Consumer  Product  Safety  Authority.  Dutch  vessels  are  active  in  the 
Northeast and Eastern Central Atlantic and Southeast Pacific. 

Poland — The Fisheries Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is 
responsible  for  data  collection.  Data  are  obtained  from  electronic  or  paper  logbooks  and 
monthly paper reports (depending on the size of the vessel) and sales notes. Both the ERS and 
the VMS are in use, the former for vessels of over 12 m. Polish vessels are mainly active in 
the Baltic Sea and the Eastern Central and Southeast Atlantic. 

Portugal — The national statistical institute has delegated responsibility for the production of 
official  fisheries  statistics  to  the  Directorate-General  for  Natural  Resources,  Security  and 
Maritime Services. The five regional directorates for agriculture and fisheries on the mainland 
and the competent institutions in the autonomous regions are also involved in data collection. 
Data are mostly taken from logbooks, landing declarations and, for fresh and refrigerated fish, 
from national auctions and sales notes. Portuguese vessels are mainly active in the Northeast, 
Western and Eastern Central Atlantic, but also in the Pacific. 

Romania  —  The  National  Agency  for  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture  is  responsible  for  data 
collection. The  National  Institute  for  Marine  Research  and Development  is  also  involved in 
data  collection  and  cross-checking  of  data,  and  is  co-responsible  for  submitting  data  to  DG 
landing 
MARE.  Data  are  from  administrative  sources  (logbooks,  sales  notes  and 
declarations). The VMS is used but the ERS has not yet been introduced. Data are collected 
by inspectors from the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture and then cross-checked 
by the Inspection and Maritime Policy Directorate. Fishing vessels are active only in the part 
of the Black Sea under Romanian jurisdiction. 

Slovenia  —  Responsibility  for  data  collection  is  shared  by  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture, 
Forestry and Food, the Fisheries Research Institute and the national statistical institute. Data is 
mainly  from  administrative  sources.  All  vessels  are  required  to  complete  logbooks  and 
provide  landing  declarations.  Data  on  prices  are  obtained  from  sales  notes  and  survey 
questionnaires.  Missing  prices  (which  accounted  for  less  than  1 %  of  the  total  landed 
quantities  in  2014)  are  estimated.  The  Fisheries  Research  Institute  manages  data  entry, 
processing and control, while the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food and the national 
statistical institute are responsible for the comparability of data over time, the punctuality of 
data  publication,  and  the  submission  of  data  to  international  organisations.  The  Slovenian 
fleet operates in the Adriatic Sea. 

Finland  —  The  Natural  Resources  Institute  is  primarily  responsible  for  fisheries  data.  The 
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry keeps registers and a real time database on commercial 
marine fisheries and is responsible for monitoring quota species and submitting data on these 
to DG MARE. The Natural Resources Institute provides further data, in addition to the data 
provided  by  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Forestry,  from  its  own  surveys  and  external 
information. It compiles these statistics and submits them to Eurostat. Vessels above 10 m are 
required  to  submit  logbooks  whilst  vessels  under  10 m  complete  monthly  coastal  fishery 
forms  (with  catches  being  estimated  in  cases  of  non-response).  First-hand  sales  of  quota 
species  are regulated. Information  on the sales of non-quota species  is supplemented  with  a 

7 

 
 
survey of the largest fish wholesale companies. Finnish vessels fish exclusively in the Baltic 
Sea. 

Sweden — The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management is responsible for data 
collection.  Data  are  from  administrative  sources,  including  logbooks,  sales  notes,  landing 
declarations, and, for the coastal fleet, monthly (or even daily) journals. Logbooks for fishing 
vessels above 12 m are submitted electronically via the ERS system. Sales notes are collected 
centrally either electronically or  on paper and coastal  fishermen can  submit coastal journals 
electronically via a secure web interface. 

United Kingdom — Authorities in the individual countries within the UK are responsible for 
data collection and quality checking. The Marine Management Organisation, the authority for 
England  and  Wales,  then  collates  information  from  the  other  authorities  and  has  ultimate 
responsibility  for  ensuring  the  quality  of  information  before  submitting  the  data  to  the 
Commission.  Vessels  above  10 m  are  required  to  provide  electronic  landing  declarations, 
logbooks  and  sales  notes,  whilst  vessels  under  10  m  provide  log  sheets  and  landing 
declarations  on  a  voluntary  basis.  All  sales  notes,  regardless  of  the  size  of  the  vessel,  are 
required  to  be  submitted  to  the  authorities.  They  are  supplemented  by  other  sources  of 
information (e.g. activity diaries to be submitted by vessels involved in shellfish fishing). The 
Northeast Atlantic is the UK’s main fishing area but a small distant water fleet also operates 
in the Southwest Atlantic and the Western Indian Ocean. 

Iceland — Data are collected by the Directorate of Fisheries and sent on a monthly basis to 
the national statistical institute, which processes and cleans the data before sending them on to 
Eurostat  and  DG  MARE.  All  fish  purchasers  and  processors  are  legally  required  to  fill  in 
weight and processing reports. Icelandic vessels fish predominantly in the Northeast Atlantic. 

Norway  —  The  Directorate  of  Fisheries  is  responsible  for  data  on  fisheries,  but  the 
information  is  initially  collected  by  six  sales  organisations,  which  handle  the  economic 
transactions  between  fishermen  and  buyers.  Data  are  from  administrative  sources  (catch 
logbooks, landing declarations and sales notes). All fishing vessels above 15 m are required to 
submit  electronic  logbooks,  as  are  vessels  above  12 m  fishing  in  the  Skagerrak  area.  As  an 
EEA country, Norway does not report using the ERS or the VMS, but it is using these systems 
for  monitoring  the  quality  of  sales  notes.  Norwegian  vessels  fish  in  the  Northeast  and 
Northwest Atlantic, and in the Antarctic. 

2.3. Data quality 

The  methods  used  for  collecting  information  on  fisheries  are  fairly  consistent  throughout 
Europe.  Source  data  has  been  improved  over  recent  years.  The  extensive  use  of  electronic 
reporting has led to data being sent on time and being of better  quality. The  electronic data 
reports  also  allow  built-in  checks  to  be  included  and  raw  data  to  be  verified.  National 
authorities also carry out preliminary checks of this type when data are provided using paper 
logbooks (this being the case mainly for vessels under 10 m). 

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Some  countries  use  additional tools  to  verify the  plausibility  of  the information  reported  by 
fishermen. The Portuguese authorities carry out inspections, either at sea or during landings at 
ports. In the United Kingdom, meanwhile, there are various surveillance systems in place and 
inspectors  make  regular  visits  to  markets  and  merchants’  premises.  Several  countries  also 
stipulated that landed fish have to be weighed on validated scales in order to ensure accuracy. 

Once  data  have  been  entered  in  national  systems,  they  go  through  checking  procedures 
(automatic in most cases) designed to verify internal consistency. Various cross-checks (e.g. 
logbooks  versus  landing  declarations  and  logbooks  versus  sales  notes)  are  carried  out.  The 
comparison  and  linking  of  sales  notes  with  landing  declarations  is  automated  in  several 
countries.  In  Latvia,  for  example,  quarterly  and  annual  data  collected  by  the  national 
statistical  institute  are  used  for  cross-checking  data  on  landings  and  catches  from 
administrative  sources.  In  Malta  and  Romania,  cross-checks  are  carried  out  by  technical 
experts.  In  the  United  Kingdom,  the  authorities  carry  out  thorough  cross-checks  on  quota 
species  on  a  monthly  basis.  Greece,  Croatia  and  Slovenia  also  report  having  procedures  in 
place for monitoring consistency over time. 

A very large majority of countries stated that the reported average landings’ prices per tonne 
are  derived  from  the  exhaustive  information  obtained  from  administrative  sources,  i.e.  the 
prices  are  based  exclusively  on  sales  notes  (values)  and  logbooks  or  landing  declarations 
(quantities).  Where  price  information  is  missing,  average  unit  prices  are  estimated  using 
relevant  available  data,  e.g.  average  reference  prices  by  species,  adjusted  prices  of  sold 
products,  international  trade  data,  average  prices  for  fish  of  the  same  category  and 
presentation and queries to fishing companies. 

Some  countries  reported  having  experienced  delays  in  receiving  data  from  their  small-scale 
fleet. The data submitted were also, on occasion, incomplete. Delays in receiving sales notes 
on landings in other Member States or non-EU countries were also mentioned. Only very few 
countries explicitly declared the data on non-quota species to be less reliable (France, Finland, 
the Netherlands and the United Kingdom). Some countries are lacking automatic procedures 
for validation. 

The  data  submitted  for  2014  showed  significant  progress  to  have  been  made.  There  were 
fewer errors in the sending process, more countries provided their datasets on time and there 
was  good  cooperation  between  data  providers  and  the  Commission  in  cases  where  further 
checks  or  corrections  were  requested.  The  long-standing  difficulties  affecting  Germany’s 
landings data up to reference year 2013 were also resolved. Nevertheless, response times have 
remained long for the small number of countries where this has persistently been a problem 
(Germany, France, Romania and Iceland). At the date of publication of this report, Greece’s 
data  had  not  been  able  to  be  finalised  due  to  a  pending  revision  of  some  species  codes. 
Bulgaria submitted its 2014 data on catches and landings three months late. 

3. USE OF THE DATA (DATA DISSEMINATION) 

In addition to publishing the country data at national level, countries’ reports are also made 
at 
available 

dissemination 

Eurostat’s 

database 

through 

9 

 
 
 
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database. Based on these data, Eurostat produces articles for 
the Statistics Explained4 series and The Agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics statistical 
book5. Data collected under the Landings Regulation are essential for sound policymaking. In 
particular, they are of utmost importance for the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) that entered 
into  force  on  1  January  2014  and  is  designed  to  ensure  environmentally,  economically  and 
socially sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Very high quality data are needed to be able to 
implement  the  new  requirements  introduced  by the  CFP,  which  set  sustainable  catch  limits, 
criteria  for  more  selective  catches  and  landings  obligations.  Data  on  landings  of  fisheries 
products made available by Eurostat are also a major source of information for the European 
Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture (EUMOFA). 

4. COST-EFFECTIVENESS 

Sixteen countries were able to estimate the administrative burden created by the preparation 
and submission of the data required under the Landings Regulation, and nine were also able to 
estimate  their  production  costs  in  monetary  terms.  The  information  provided  relates  to  the 
entire  set  of  data  on  catches  and  landings  submitted  to  Eurostat.  With  similar  sources  and 
tools being used to produce different parts of the data, it is difficult to dissociate the costs of 
one  element  from  the  total.  The  burden  and  costs  associated  with  providing  the  data  differ 
significantly between countries: seven countries reported needing between 15 and 40 hours to 
prepare and submit the data requested by Eurostat, six countries estimated the time taken at 
between  80  and  150  hours,  and  three  countries  reported  a  burden  of  more  than  150  hours 
work. The incurred cost was estimated to be less than 1 500 euros by four countries, between 
2 000 and 3 000 euros by another four, and above 7 000 by one Member State. 

5. CONCLUSIONS 

In  most  cases,  administrative  data  sources  provide  a  full  census  of  fishing  activities.  The 
widespread  use  of  electronic  reporting  and  the  introduction  of  automatic  validation  systems 
has increased confidence in data quality and allowed countries to improve their punctuality in 
submitting data. 

Nonetheless,  the  weaknesses  in  data  collection  mentioned  by  survey  respondents  and  the 
difficulties experienced by Eurostat during the data validation process show that there is still 
room  for  improvement.  It  appears,  for  example,  that  longer  response  times  and  greater 
difficulties  in  performing  data  checks  are  seen  for  countries  that  do  not  have  centralised 
systems.  In  these  cases,  checking  back  to  decide  whether  outliers  are  to  be  accepted  or 
corrected can be a complex and time-consuming process. 

4 Fishery statistics - Statistics Explained 

5 Agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics — 2015 edition - Product - Eurostat 

10 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
On several occasions, countries submitted corrections to the data when errors were identified 
by  Eurostat  during  its  cross-checking  between  statistics  on  catches  and  landings.  This 
suggests that the consistency checks being carried out at national level are insufficient. 

Several countries are, however, currently taking steps to improve their systems. Germany and 
France  are  working  on  new  control  and  validation  systems,  which  are  to  be  operational  by 
mid  and  end-2016  respectively.  Cyprus  is  finalising  a  tender  to  implement  automatic 
validation,  which  will  reduce  discrepancies  between  different  data  sources.  It  also  plans  to 
build a centralised system linking all data sources. Estonia is taking steps to introduce further 
automation. 

Eurostat prepared a questionnaire to be filled in by countries before launching the 2014 data 
collection exercise. A set of practical guidelines for reporting statistics on landings was then 
produced,  on  the  basis  of  the  replies  received.  The  guidelines  give  precise  instructions  on 
which landings should or should not be included, and on how they should be reported. There 
was felt to be a need for such guidelines in order to harmonise national practices and avoid 
distortions in aggregated data. Use of these guidelines should result in better quality data. 

6. RECOMMENDATIONS 

Some of the shortcomings highlighted in the previous Report6 have not yet been resolved in 
some countries. These are related namely to the questionable quality of primary data and to 
validation systems that are not (or not fully) centralised and automated. In some cases, greater 
difficulties seem to arise when several different organisations are responsible for the data. The 
countries  concerned  are  therefore  strongly  encouraged  to  strengthen  communication  and 
cooperation  between  the  various  institutions  involved.  Linking  all  source  data  and 
implementing  automatic  consistency  and  plausibility  checks  are  also  essential  steps  for 
improving the reliability of data and ensuring data is submitted on time. 

Cases causing greater concern, such as Italy lacking data on fishing activities in the Eastern 
Central Atlantic and Western Indian Ocean, are to be addressed in very close cooperation with 
the national authorities concerned. 

At  the  same  time,  further  steps  need  to  be  taken  to  simplify  the  process  of  preparing  and 
submitting  the  data.  This  would  help  to  reduce  the  burden  on  data  suppliers.  In  particular, 
code lists should be aligned, as far as is possible, with those that have to be used under other 
Regulations. This is notably the case for the presentation codes, which could be better aligned 
with the codes set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011. 

Steps  should  also  been  taken  to  improve  the  conversion  factors  used  to  calculate  the  live 
weight of fish products. These should be more precise and should take into account both how 
the fish is  preserved  on board and  the type of processing. More  accurate conversion factors 
would ensure greater consistency between countries as regards the conversion into live weight 
and  the  link  between  catches  and  landings.  They  would  also  allow  more  effective  cross-

6 Document COM(2014) 240 final 

11 

 
 
 
                                                            
checks  to  be  performed  against  the  catch  statistics  reported  under  Regulations  (EC)  No 
216/20097, (EC) No 217/20098 and (EC) No 218/20099 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council on the submission of nominal catch statistics by Member States. 

7  Regulation  (EC)  No  216/2009  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11  March  2009  on  the 
submission  of  nominal  catch  statistics  by  Member  States  fishing  in  certain  areas  other  than  those  of  the 
North Atlantic (OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, p. 1). 

8  Regulation  (EC)  No  217/2009  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11  March  2009  on  the 
submission  of  catch  and  activity  statistics  by  Member  States  fishing  in  the  north-west  Atlantic  (OJ  L  87, 
31.3.2009, p. 42). 

9  Regulation  (EC)  No  218/2009  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11  March  2009  on  the 
submission  of  nominal  catch  statistics  by  Member  States  fishing  in  the  north-east  Atlantic  (OJ  L  87, 
31.3.2009, p. 70). 

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