EU: Assistance for the monitoring of the implementation of national programmes for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector (Framework Contract MARE/2009/08)

Project Background

The Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) is the Commission service responsible for the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP). The CFP is a regulatory framework for the management of European fishing fleets and the conservation of fish stocks, while the IMP aims to provide a coherent approach to maritime affairs and improve coordination between different policy areas.

Council Regulation (EC) No 199/2008 of 25 February 2008 establishing a Community framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice on the CFP (known as the Data Collection Framework, DCF), requires Member States to collect biological, technical, environmental and socio-economic data in the framework of multi-annual national programmes. These programmes must be established in accordance with the Community programme approved by Commission decision. 

In order to assure a high quality data base for scientific advice on fisheries policy making, Member States have further obligations under the DCF regarding data management and use, in particular data collection and storage, data quality and validity assurance, data processing and transmission.
 

Objectives

The overall objective of this framework contract is to monitor the implementation of national programmes under the community framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the CFP, as well as other obligations under the DCF.

Within the framework contract two different types of contracts are implemented: the horizontal specific contract and field work specific contracts.

Activities and/or Results

Activities of the horizontal specific contract:

• Definition of the road map for the activities to be implemented;
• Definition of the field work programme (EU Member States to be visited);
• Assessment and evaluation of the activities undertaken at the end of the contract;
• Recommendations on the areas/EU Member States requiring a particular follow-up;
• Reporting.

Activities of the field work specific contracts:

• Verification if the individual Member States are collecting all the data specified in the programmes under the DCF methods;
• Checking the existence and functioning of national databases;
• Verification of the existence of a website serving as a deposit for all information;
• Assessment of whether Member States have designed and applied the appropriate quality control for data collection and transmission;
• Verification if Member States have processed and aggregated data into data sets.