EFCA : promoting fisheries compliance.
Date: 2021-09-22
Institutions: European Fisheries Control Agency
Subjects: European Fisheries Control Agency, common fisheries policy, fishing controls, fishing regulations, sustainable fisheries

Mission & objectives

EFCA promotes the highest common standards for the control, 
inspection and surveillance under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

EFCA was established to organise operational coordination activities by 
the Member States and to assist them to cooperate so as to comply with 
the rules in order to ensure its effective and uniform application.

The added value of the work of the agency lies in its contribution to a 
European-wide level playing ﬁeld for the ﬁshing industry, so that European 
obligations  are  observed  by  everyone  and  everyone  in  the  sector  is 
treated equally, wherever they might be operating.

Secondly, EFCA contributes towards sustainable ﬁsheries by enhanc-
ing compliance with existing conservation and management measures to 
the beneﬁt of present and future generations.

Implementation of EFCA Joint Deployment Plans (JDP)

CONTROL 
AND INSPECTION
IN THE EU

Fisheries rules and control systems are agreed 

on at EU level, but implemented by the Member 

States by means of their national authorities 

and inspectors.

To achieve sustainable ﬁsheries, there must 

be  a  culture  of  compliance  throughout  the 

ﬁshing industry, which is one of the principle 

objectives  of  the  Common  Fisheries  Policy 

(CFP),  and  the  European  Fisheries  Control 

Agency helps to work towards this objective.

EFCA’s tasks

EFCA coordinates the ﬁsheries control joint operations of the Member States 

(MS) through the pooling of data and intelligence, joint risk analysis, inspection 

means and training of inspectors;

EFCA, in cooperation with EMSA and Frontex, also assists the MS Authorities 

delivering missions falling under the European Coast Guard function;

EFCA assists the European Commission by analysing catch certiﬁcates and 

processing statements received from third countries as well as background 

research on trade statistics, ﬂeet composition, characteristics of the ﬁshing 

industries, etc.;

Policy;

EFCA collaborates with the Regional Fora of MS and supports them in the 

implementation of the Control Regime applying to the Common Fisheries 

EFCA also assists Member States by providing training on the implementation 

of the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Regulation and develops 

a Core Curriculum for the training of Union inspectors, as well as for national 

ﬁsheries inspectors;

EFCA supports the Union in the international dimension of the CFP in the ﬁght 

against IUU ﬁshing and providing capacity building assistance to third countries.

Since the change to its founding regulation 

in 2016, EFCA supports national authorities 

carrying out coast guard functions.

One of the tasks in the framework

of this cooperation are multipurpose operations 

sharing assets such as the EFCA’s chartered 

ﬁsheries patrol vessels.

Country codes

DE
Germany
FI
Finland
FR
France

BE
Belguim
HR
Croatia
NL
Netherlands

CY
Cyprus
IE
Ireland
PL
Poland

DK
Denmark
IT
Italy
PT
Portugal

EE
Estonia
LT
Lithuania
SE
Sweden

EL
Greece
LV
Latvia
SI
Slovenia

ES
Spain
MT
Malta

NAFO / NEAFC

DE

ES

LT

PL

DK

FR

LV

PT

CY

EE

IE

NL

SE

Baltic Sea

DE

FI

PL

DK

LT

SE

EE

LV

North Sea

DE

IE

DK

NL

BE

FR

SE

Eastern Atlantic

& Mediterranean

CY

FR

MT

EL

HR

PT

ES

IT

SI

Black Sea

BG

RO

Western Waters

BE

EE

IE

NL

DE

ES

LT

PL

DK

FR

LV

PT

Mission & objectives

EFCA promotes the highest common standards for the control, 

inspection and surveillance under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

CONTROL 

EFCA was established to organise operational coordination activities by 

the Member States and to assist them to cooperate so as to comply with 

the rules in order to ensure its effective and uniform application.

The added value of the work of the agency lies in its contribution to a 

European-wide level playing ﬁeld for the ﬁshing industry, so that European 

obligations  are  observed  by  everyone  and  everyone  in  the  sector  is 

treated equally, wherever they might be operating.

Secondly, EFCA contributes towards sustainable ﬁsheries by enhanc-

ing compliance with existing conservation and management measures to 

the beneﬁt of present and future generations.

Implementation of EFCA Joint Deployment Plans (JDP)

AND INSPECTION

IN THE EU

Fisheries rules and control systems are agreed 

on at EU level, but implemented by the Member 

States by means of their national authorities 

and inspectors.

To achieve sustainable ﬁsheries, there must 

be  a  culture  of  compliance  throughout  the 

ﬁshing industry, which is one of the principle 

objectives  of  the  Common  Fisheries  Policy 

(CFP),  and  the  European  Fisheries  Control 

Agency helps to work towards this objective.

EFCA’s tasks
EFCA coordinates the ﬁsheries control joint operations of the Member States 
(MS) through the pooling of data and intelligence, joint risk analysis, inspection 

means and training of inspectors;

EFCA, in cooperation with EMSA and Frontex, also assists the MS Authorities 
delivering missions falling under the European Coast Guard function;

EFCA assists the European Commission by analysing catch certiﬁcates and 
processing statements received from third countries as well as background 

research on trade statistics, ﬂeet composition, characteristics of the ﬁshing 

industries, etc.;

EFCA collaborates with the Regional Fora of MS and supports them in the 
implementation of the Control Regime applying to the Common Fisheries 

Policy;

EFCA also assists Member States by providing training on the implementation 
of the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Regulation and develops 

a Core Curriculum for the training of Union inspectors, as well as for national 

ﬁsheries inspectors;

EFCA supports the Union in the international dimension of the CFP in the ﬁght 
against IUU ﬁshing and providing capacity building assistance to third countries.

Since the change to its founding regulation 
in 2016, EFCA supports national authorities 
carrying out coast guard functions.

One of the tasks in the framework
of this cooperation are multipurpose operations 
sharing assets such as the EFCA’s chartered 
ﬁsheries patrol vessels.

NAFO / NEAFC

DE

ES

LT

PL

DK

FR

LV

PT

CY

EE

IE

NL

SE

Baltic Sea

DE

FI

PL

DK

LT

SE

EE

LV

North Sea

DE

IE

DK

NL

BE

FR

SE

Eastern Atlantic
& Mediterranean

CY

FR

MT

EL

HR

PT

ES

IT

SI

Black Sea

BG

RO

Western Waters

BE

EE

IE

NL

DE

ES

LT

PL

DK

FR

LV

PT

Country codes

DE

BE

Germany

Belguim

FI

Finland

FR

France

HR

Croatia

NL

Denmark

Estonia

CY

Cyprus

IE

Ireland

PL

DK

IT

Italy

PT

EE

LT

SE

Lithuania

EL

Greece

LV

Latvia

SI

ES

Spain

MT

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Sweden

Slovenia