The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is an intergovernmental fishery organisation responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas. From the perspective of the European Union, the EFCA coordinates the implementation of the international scheme of joint inspection as provided for under ICCAT conservation and management measures.
Joint campaigns are planned, implemented and evaluated each year under the framework of the Mediterranean JDP in close cooperation with the European Commission, the Member State concerned and the EFCA. In addition, the EFCA is delegated by the European Commission to fulfil a number of tasks including the notification of the list of EU inspectors and inspection means to be deployed in the joint inspection scheme, the transmission of inspection reports to the European Commission related to those inspections carried out on fishing vessels flagged to other ICCAT contracting parties, and the dissemination and coordination of ICCAT inspection reports and pennants used by inspection vessels notified under the JIS.
Upon request of the European Commission, the EFCA also implements operational cooperation with other ICCAT contracting parties using the vehicle of the JDP, such as the exchange of inspectors and training activities, as well as training workshops to ensure the full and common interpretation and implementation of inspection and control measures provided for by the ICCAT.
Finally, EFCA personnel support the European Commission services in the EU delegations in ICCAT meetings both in the annual sessions as well as inter-sessional meetings of compliance committees.