Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 261: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the stage of development and future plans during 2006 and 2007 for the EU Fisheries Central Centre at Vigo, Spain; the relationship of this centre with the Irish fisheries control authorities in Haulbowline, the Navy and the proposed new Irish Fisheries Protection Authority. [23562/06]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA) was established by Council Regulation No. 768/2005 of 26 April 2005. The CFCA will coordinate fisheries control and inspection activities by Member States through the establishment of Joint Deployment Plans agreed in consultation with the Member States concerned, where a specific monitoring programme has been agreed at EU level and on the basis of control resources made available to it by Member States. The Member States remain responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The establishment of the Irish Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority will not change the relationship between the Irish control authorities and the CFCA.

Since then, Council Regulation work has been progressing on the development of the CFCA. An administrative board has been established comprising representatives of the Commission and of each Member State and the candidate countries of Romania and Bulgaria. At a meeting of the administrative board in Vigo last week, Mr. Harm Koster was appointed as Executive Director of the CFCA. Implementing rules under the CFP governing inspections and the reporting of infringements were agreed in May 2006. The CFCA is to commence its operations in Brussels before moving to Vigo in early 2008.