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Our role

We are the UK managing authority for the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) - see article 58 of Council Regulation 1198/2006 (PDF 280 KB). We manage delivery functions for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Main functions

  • Manage the Operational Programme, which has been agreed by the European Commission.
  • Ensure projects selected for funding are in accordance with the selection criteria, including chairing selection panels three times a year.
  • Verify that funded projects have delivered and that expenditure declared by the beneficiary has been incurred.
  • Make sure computerised systems are in place to record and store all data relating to each application for EFF grant aid.
  • Collect data on implementation necessary for financial management, monitoring, verifications, audits and evaluations.
  • Establish procedures to ensure an adequate audit trail is held and that the certifying an audit authorities are in receipt of all necessary information in relation to expenditure.
  • Guide the work of the UK Programme Monitoring Committee - Terms of reference (PDF 112 KB) - and provide members with regular updates and papers. The UK Programme Monitoring Committee oversee implementation of the Operational Programme.
  • Report to the Commission with annual and final reports of implementation.
  • Comply with information and publicity requirements set by the Commission.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Scottish Government and Welsh Government are designated as intermediate bodies to carry out some of the functions of the managing authority under the responsibility of the UK managing authority. Service level agreements have been set-up between ourselves and each intermediate body to ensure managing authority functions are carried out as required.

Operational Programme

Council Regulation 1198/2006 (PDF 280 KB), the EFF Regulation, requires member states to draw up a national strategic plan and an operational programme - this has to be approved by the Commission. This regulation is supplemented by Commission Regulation 498/2007 (PDF 853 KB) and Vademecum (PDF 604 KB).

The UK Operational Programme for the EFF contains a detailed analysis of the fisheries industry, the strategy and objectives, the summary of the ex-ante evaluation, details on each priority axis, the finance available, and the implementing provisions.

Selection panels

The EFF Grants Programme is open all year round for receipt of applications. Depending on the type, size and cost of a project, a decision will either be considered by the selection panel (which meets three times a year) or for smaller projects by our Business Relations Team on an ongoing basis.

2013 panel dates

  • 13 March 2013 (deadline for applications was 14 January 2013)
  • 15 May 2013 (deadline for applications is 20 March 2013)
  • 10 July 2013 (deadline for applications is 22 May 2013)
  • 11 September 2013 (deadline for applications is 17 July 2013)
  • 6 November 2013 (deadline for applications is 18 September 2013).

Contact information

Business Relations Team
Marine Management Organisation
Lancaster House
Hampshire Court
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 7YH

Tel: 0191 376 2694/2676
Fax: 0191 376 2681
Email: eff.projects@
marinemanagement.org.uk

Further information

Council Regulation 1198/2006 (PDF 280 KB)

UK National Strategic Plan 2007-2013 (PDF 513 KB)

UK Operational Programme 2007-2013 (PDF 4.6 MB) updated October 2010

Selection panel criteria (England) (PDF 64 KB)

Selection panel terms of reference (PDF 104 KB)

Help with documents

Some of these documents are in the portable document format (PDF) for downloading. Adobe Acrobat Reader can be freely downloaded from www.adobe.com/uk/