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EU Aid

The EU Aid programme has been set up in line with two EU regulations 861/2006 and 391/2007. These regulations detail the necessary requirements for all member states surrounding the monitoring, control and enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

• Council Regulation 861/2006 (PDF 94 KB) covers the detailed rules for the implementation of the CFP in regards to the expenditure incurred by member states for the collection and management of the basic fisheries data.
• Commission Regulation 391/2007 (PDF 205 KB) covers the rules for implementation of regulation 861/2006 in regards to the expenditure incurred by member states by implementing the monitoring and control systems applicable to the CFP.
• Commission Regulation 1257/2009 (PDF 713 KB) amends Regulation 391/2007 to change the period of time for submitting claims for reimbursement from 9 months to 12 months of the end of the year that the money was spent.

These regulations allow any body enforcing the CFP with the ability to claim for eligible expenditure detailed in the annexes of regulations 861/2006 and 391/2007. This expenditure must have been incurred while carrying out measures involved monitoring, controlling and enforcing the CFP.

Each year the managing authority for each member state (we are the managing authority for the UK) will invite enforcement bodies to apply for co-funding from the EU for expected expenditure by sending an application and covering letter to their organisation. Applications will be submitted in early December due for return by early January which will allow for submission to the Commission by 1 February.

These individual applications from the enforcement bodies will be collated by the Business Relations Team into a UK-wide application and then submitted to the Commission for a decision regarding funding.

Once submitted, the application is assessed by the Commission officer responsible for the EU Aid programme and all projects will be assessed against the criteria outlined previously. Decisions are expected by May/June and are published in an official document and this information is then relayed to the MMO, the same information is also publicly accessible via the EU website.

Following the EU decision, the relevant enforcement bodies are informed of the EU decision. For audit purposes, the enforcement bodies must provide original or certified invoices for any expenditure incurred. If this documentation is provided within an 11-month period, we can submit a reimbursement claim to the Commission who then release the appropriate payment to us for onward distribution to the appropriate enforcement body.