About the Common Fisheries Policy

Combating illegal fishing

Vessel fishing illegally for Patagonian toothfish in waters south of Australia, being inspected by the Australian navy. Picture courtesy Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a worldwide phenomenon. Its extent and its environmental, economic and social consequences are such that it has become a priority issue at international level. IUU fishing contributes to the depletion of fish stocks and jeopardises protection and recovery measures put in place to ensure the viability of resources. It represents unfair competition for those who exploit fish resources legally. The impact of IUU fishing also threatens the very survival of coastal communities.

Strong measures have already been taken to combat IUU fishing at national, regional and international levels. The Commission have been involved in the fight against IUU fishing for over a decade and in 2002 the Commission adopted an Action Plan against IUU fishing inspired by the FAOs International Plan of Action to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing of 2001. However, despite regional and international efforts to stop IUU fishing the phenomenon is still a growing problem and as a result, the European Community intensified its action towards IUU fishing by launching a consultation process in 2007. A Proposal to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing was adopted in October 2007 and a Regulation to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing was adopted on 29 September 2008, after a unanimous political agreement. The regulation will enter into force on 1 January 2010.

Before 2010 the Commission will establish implementing rules to ensure an efficient implementation of the Regulation which are planned to be adopted by mid 2009. A practical handbook will also be published during mid 2009 for the benefit of stakeholder and authorities in the EC and in third countries.

The IUU Regulation will have an impact on third countries that are trading in fisheries products with the EU. The Commission is committed to assist third countries in the implementation of the Regulation. A meeting was held on 13 October 2008 with representatives from Missions to third countries in Brussels and the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is also organising a series of regional seminars for the benefit of authorities in developing countries.

The Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is committed to inform stakeholders of the Regulation and are organising and participating in several events.

State of play (October 2009)

The Commission is working towards an effective implementation of the IUU Regulation. It has carried out technical training with both third countries and EC Member States and is preparing the official list of flag State notifications for publication at the end of 2009. A provisional list of flag State notifications is available below.

The Implementing regulation to the IUU Regulation was adopted on 22 October 2009. The Commission has also drafted a handbook to facilitate the implementation of the IUU Regulation. The handbook is a reader-friendly document in English which gives practical advice for both authorities and stakeholders in EC Member States and third countries.

Related information

Information packs

Handbook - reduced translated version

( ~ 570 Kb)
Handbook on the practical application of the IUU Regulation ( ~ 260 Kb)
Information note - state of play and summary of main provisions of the IUU Regulation ( ~ 40 Kb)
Technical note - detailed description of the catch certification scheme ( ~ 40 Kb)
Cooperation note - possibilities of international cooperation in the fight against IUU fishing and the implementation of the IUU regulation ( ~ 20 Kb)

Queries on the IUU Regulation

If you have any queries about the IUU Regulation or the way it should be applied, please consult the handbook ( ~ 260 Kb) and other documents available on this site, which give practical information and advice to authorities and operators in EU Member States and third countries.

If you cannot find the information you need in the information tools provided you may send us an e-mail with your question. Please note that the mailbox is reserved for specific cases that are not explained in the handbook.

Member States – implementation