Enforcing the Common Fisheries Policy

Book abstract:

Enforcement in fisheries has now become a major priority throughout the Community. This has been brought about by a widespread realisation that enforcement is an essential element for the survival of the industry and that the absence of effective monitoring control and surveillance in the past has contributed to the recurring difficulties which have buffeted the fisheries sector over the last decade. This book assesses the present state of law enforcement in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

The aim of this book is to examine how the basic elements of CFP are enforced, who conducts this task, the results attained and the probable shape of fisheries enforcement up to and beyond the year 2000. The book seeks to stress that whilst much improvement is needed in the implementation of current rules, the framework for better control is in place, together with the financial resources and the best that modern technology can offer. Whether all these elements will be sufficient will be revealed in the next major review of the CFP in the run-up to the year 2002.

The chapters are: The context: overview of the Common Fisheries Policy; Fishery enforcement and the CFP; A new approach to enforcement - the Control Regulation; Enforcing the Community catch registration system; The enforcement of technical conservation measures, structure and market measures; The role of the European Commission and some of the issues pertaining to the use of sanctions in the enforcement process; Quota hopping: an insoluble enforcement problem?; Ensuring enforcement by Member States; Financing the enforcement of the CFP; Enforcing Community rules on the use of large-scale driftnets; New developments in fishery law enforcement; Conclusions.

The issues of control and enforcement within the CFP are addressed comprehensively in this book, giving a clearer picture and understanding of the remarkable developments in the enforcement of Community fishery law.