Review on how European fleet international- and SFPA water fisheries are managed and conducted

This report contains a journal manuscript analysing the development in four bilateral fisheries access agreements that the EU has made with non-member coastal states in terms of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS). The four bilateral fisheries access agreements, today termed Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) are: the agreement with Capo Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, and the Seychelles. The study analyses the changes in the access agreements over time and how the reforms in the CFP (in 1992, 2002 and 2013) and accompanying changes in regulations addressing the external dimension of the EU fleet, are enshrined in the fisheries access agreements. In addition, some considerations are made on how implementation challenges are reflected in the development of the agreements. The focus is on the formal development of the agreements and how new MCS requirements are introduced and operationalized. The study finds a clear strengthening in the MCS provisions in the EU access agreements over time. The provisions generally follow the development in the CFP and accompanying implementing regulations, in some cases also preceding the enshrinement in EU regulations. At the same time, the analysis shows that even though there is a positive development in the MSC requirements in the agreements, the implementation of new requirements can be slow. The study concludes that on the one hand, this gradual and slow implementation might be a viable approach and a way for the EU to be able to implement its external fisheries policy, in particular when accompanied with capacity building initiatives and increased cooperation. On the other hand, if the MCS requirements are not implemented, and are not adjusted to the actual situation, they may end up as paper-regulations which over time will undermine the credibility of the access agreements.