AUTHORS: IEEP

The European Community has signed up to the FAO International Plan of Action to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing – known in short as ‘IPOA IUU’. The plan is voluntary and was adopted within the framework of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. It was endorsed by the FAO Council in June 2001.

Under the plan, States are to develop and implement, as soon as possible but not later than 2004, national plans of action to further achieve the objectives of the IPOA. National plans should also include, as appropriate, actions to implement initiatives adopted by relevant regional fisheries management organizations to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing. IPOA IUU includes measures relating to flag States, coastal States and port States. It also encourages the use of internationally agreed market-related measures, research and regional fisheries management organizations.

The new EU Action Plan, forwarded as part of the 2002 Common Fisheries Policy reforms, is intended to set out necessary measures for the EU to comply with the IPOA-IUU.