EU fishing activities in the North Sea and North-East Atlantic are closely linked to those of our neighbours – the United Kingdom, Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland. With many of the targeted stocks shared across boundaries, it makes good sense for all 5 parties to coordinate their activities, especially as the different fleets are not necessarily interested in the same stocks.
Therefore, many of the stocks concerned are jointly managed, and quotas are exchanged to ensure they are not wasted. Some of these stocks are managed through the intergovernmental North-East Atlantic Fisheries Convention (NEAFC) set up to manage fish stocks in the region, while others are managed through agreements between the coastal states.
These agreements are extremely important to a large section of the EU fleet, especially the agreement with Norway.
Bilateral agreements
The EU has bilateral agreements with the United Kingdom, Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland.
United Kingdom
12/03/2024
29/01/2024
08/12/2023
20/10/2023
01/06/2023
16/03/2023
20/12/2022
09/12/2022
12/10/2022
23/05/2022
11/03/2022
21/12/2021
10/12/2021
18/06/2021
11/06/2021
16/03/2021
Norway
The EU has three fisheries agreements with Norway, namely bilateral, trilateral and neighbouring agreements. The bilateral arrangement covers the North Sea and the Atlantic, the trilateral agreement covers Skagerrak and Kattegat (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) and the neighbourhood arrangement covers the Swedish fishery in Norwegian waters of the North Sea.
Agreed record of fisheries consultations
08/12/2023
29/06/2023
17/03/2023
09/12/2022
10/12/2021
18/06/2021
22/03/2021
16/03/2021
05/01/2021
19-21/10/2020
24/04/2020
22/04/2020
12-13/12/2019
22-23/10/2019
17/10/2019
11/04/2019
07/12/2018
06/09/2018
07/06/2018
25/04/2018
Arrangements
The agreements are implemented in the form of annual fisheries arrangements. The bilateral and the trilateral arrangements allow for the setting of TACs for joint stocks, transfers of fishing possibilities, joint technical measures and issues related to control and enforcement. The neighbourhood arrangement includes fishing possibilities transferred from Norway to Sweden in accordance with the fisheries agreement between Norway and Sweden of December 1976.
The bilateral agreement is the single most important agreement the EU has with a third party both in terms of exchange of fish possibilities and in terms of joint management measures.
Timeline
Entry into force: 16 June 1981
Initial period: 0 years to 1991 (OJ L 191 of 14 July 1981, page 19)
Renewal: Extended four further periods of 6 years until 2015, subsequent tacit renovation for periods of 6 years unless a notice of termination is given.
Notice of termination: 9 months
Legal framework
Framework agreement adopted by Council regulation (EEC) 2214/80 of 27 June 1980, OJ - L 226 of 29 August 1980, page 47
Faroe Islands
Agreed record of fisheries consultations
19-21/10/2020
22/04/2020
12-13/12/2019
10/12/2019
22-23/10/2019
12/12/2018
05/12/2007
Timeline
Entry into force: 2 February 1990
Initial period: 10 years to 2000
Renewal: Extended 2 further periods of 6 years to 2012, subsequent tacit renovation for periods of 6 years unless a notice of termination is given.
Notice of termination: 9 months
Legal framework
The Framework Agreement was adopted by Council Regulation (EEC) 2211/80 of 27 June 1980, OJ - L 226 of 29 August 1980, page 11
Iceland
The agreement with Iceland is "dormant". No bilateral fisheries arrangements have been agreed since 2008.
Legal framework
Agreement on fisheries and the marine environment between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Iceland OJ L 161, 2.7.1993, p. 2–3