Cod stocks in the Baltic Sea are subject to a long -term recovery plan with a view to bring the stock to safe biological limits. The Commission has established a specific control and enforcement plan to ensure the application of the recovery plan. Bringing the Specific Control and Inspection Programme into effect, the EFCA has adopted a Joint Deployment Plan (JDP) in 2008.

Back in 28 - 29 March 2007, a conference was organised by the Baltic States Regional Advisory Council (RAC) in Copenhagen to clarify some of the central problems surrounding the cod fishery in the Baltic. The RAC conference concluded that unreported catches of the Baltic cod were the main problem associated with non compliance. It was agreed that Members States of the Baltic region would undertake as well to coordinate, strengthen and harmonize fisheries inspection and control.

In terms of comparison between the control activities coordinated in 2007 by the EFCA (at the moment called JISS since it had a different legal basis) and the JDP in 2008, the number of coordinated days of control activity increased from 92 day to 128, as well as the number of inspection (sea / ashore) multiplied for more than four times (from 500 to 2063). The large number of inspections brings evidence of the obvious strong willingness of border Baltic Member States (MS) to fight against unreported cod catches. Yet, the question of assessment of the current situation remains and the under declaration of cod catches still is considered a recurrent problem.

The EFCA's most important role is not to bring evidence of that misreporting but giving tactical advice to the coordination centre in charge, giving a better chance to Member States to improve its general level of compliance with CFP rules. In general, the JDP has resulted in enhanced cooperation between Member States, not only at sea or in ports but also on a managerial level. Knowledge was exchanged and inspectors are now fully aware of existing similarities and differences related to inspection work, creating a momentum for further development of standard methodologies and improving the efficiency of the JDP.

Planning, coordination, training, priority to control of landing / boarding at sea, etc. are amongst the issues to be tackled. All these important items have been discussed together with Member States at an assessment seminar in Vigo in July as well as in Riga at the end of September at an expert group chaired by the Commission.

The decisions taken and the results obtained at the next JDP will be timely updated at the web.