Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) : 63rd Plenary Report - Written Procedure (PLEN-20-01)

The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) not hold its 63rd Plenary Meeting as originally foreseen on 16-20 March 2020 but was requested to draft its advice by written procedure instead.-- 94 pages
The STECF was originally planned to meet in plenary on 16-20 March at the JRC, Ispra. Due to the emergent covid-19 situation in northern Italy and later on the whole of Europe, the meeting was first shifted to Brussels, and then cancelled and replaced by a written procedure with STECF members addressing the ToRs from their home offices. The original ToRs were re-prioritised by the Commission in order to facilitate the STECF working under non-ideal conditions. In addition, the Commission supported the STECF chair and vice-chair, rapporteurs and those STECF members being able to contribute to the written procedure by issuing individual ad hoc contracts. Below DG MARE lists the points to be developed under written procedure. All other points originally included in the draft ToR and Agenda are either postponed to one of the future plenaries or to be dealt with under different procedures, or will no longer be dealt with by STECF. After consultation within DG MARE, this exceptional written procedure to replace the Plenary March session, will need to deal with the following points and ToR. These concern, in summary: - 2 points in the Atlantic – both technical measures - 3 points in the Med – some diversity in the subject - 1 point in the Black Sea – on data collection. Finalization of the written procedure on all topics was foreseen for 3 April 2020