Common Fisheries Policy (CFP): Regional Advisory Councils, Community financial aid

PURPOSE: to amend Decision 2004/585/EC establishing Regional Advisory Councils under the Common Fisheries Policy.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

CONTENT: 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.

Taking into account that RACs have been created by Council Regulation 2371/2002 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 2342/2002/EC, Euratom laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation 1605/2002/EC, Euratom on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities.

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. 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. 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.

For more information concerning the financial implications of this proposal, please refer to the financial statement.