Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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799. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an organisation's (details supplied) application for producer organisation status. [59568/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Seafood Producer organisations are officially recognised bodies, set up by groups of fishery or aquaculture producers to manage the activity of their members. Producer organisations can play an important role in the market, improving the conditions for the placing on the market of their members’ fishery and aquaculture products, improving economic returns for their members, stabilising the market, avoiding and reducing as far as possible unwanted catches, contributing to the elimination of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and generally coordinating the activities of their primary producer members.

Regulation 1379/2013 on the Common Organisation of the Market for Fishery and Aquaculture Products (the CMO Regulation) provides an EU legal framework for the recognition of Seafood Producer Organisations. Under this regulation, a group must apply for recognition as a Producer Organisation to the relevant competent national authority. My Department has been designated the role of national competent authority for the purpose of this regulation.

In June 2020 the organisation, details supplied, made an application to become a Producer Organisation. An initial assessment was completed, and some requests were made for further information and actions to progress the recognition process. One such condition was the adoption of a Constitution and Rules by the organisation’s members. My Department was informed in November 2022 that this adoption had taken place.

A final assessment is now required, upon which a formal approval can be based. Once approved, the organisation, will be recognised as a Producer Organisation and the European Commission will be informed.

Once recognised as a Producer Organisation, the organisation will undertake a number of obligations. This includes the preparation of a Production and Marketing Plan and submission of an Annual Report on the implementation of its Production and Marketing Plan. Financial support is available for the preparation of these and for other operating costs under my Department’s Seafood Development Programme.