European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: agreed records 2025

23 Monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) measures for joint stocks

23.1 The Delegations agreed that comprehensive management regimes require efficient and trustworthy MCS measures, and that strategic and operative MCS cooperation between the inspections services of the Parties is a prerequisite to continuously improve compliance and achieving a level playing field. Hence, the Delegations welcomed initiatives to improve dialogue and exchange experience between the inspection services to increase the general understanding of the Parties´ MCS regimes, in particular the work carried out by the North Sea MCS Working Group (NS MCS WG).

23.2 The Delegations also referred to the ‘Stand Alone Agreement’ signed November 2022 (Agreed Record of Conclusions of Fisheries Consultations between Norway, the EU, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and the UK on Control Measures for Pelagic Stocks in the Northeast Atlantic) where the parties agreed to apply the arrangements outlined in that Agreed Record at the latest from 1 January 2026. The Delegations noted that there are ongoing consultations on control measures for pelagic stocks in the North-East Atlantic. The Delegations agreed that monitoring, control and surveillance of North Sea herring is covered by the control measures concluded within the Stand Alone Agreement, without prejudice to other measures discussed and agreed in trilateral consultations. 

23.3 The Delegations referred to the decision in 2018 by the EU and Norway to establish a Working Group on MCS of Fisheries on Joint Stocks in the North Sea and noted that the Working Group delivered its final report in June 2024 and that the report was presented during the annual consultations on 5 November in Brussels. The Working Group was able to recommend best practice in several areas.

23.4 The Delegations welcomed the report and discussed how to follow it up in a suitable way and concluded that more time was needed to consider the outcomes and next steps.

23.5 To ensure this important area of work is progressed, the Delegations agreed to develop a draft terms of reference (ToR) for a North Sea MCS Working Group. When developing a ToR the outcomes of the NS MCS WG report should be considered with a view to identify tasks that will further develop MCS on jointly managed stocks in the North Sea, particularly in relation to cod-related fisheries. To facilitate this work, the Delegations agreed to nominate relevant MCS experts that will meet in the first quarter of 2025. The draft ToR should be presented for agreement at the 2025 intersessional meeting.