Le projet Fishn'Co consistait à élaborer des plans de travail régionaux (RWP) pour les groupes de coordination régionaux (RCG) NANSEA, RCG Baltic, RCG Large Pelagics et RCG on Economics Issues et a fonctionné de janvier 2021 à février 2023. Il a rassemblé 13 instituts de 11 États membres de l'UE et divers experts, souvent présidents ou dirigeants de RCG et de sous-groupes intersessions (ISSG). Le projet a apporté une valeur ajoutée aux RCG et aux ISSG, en complétant leurs travaux sur les plans de travail régionaux couvrant les domaines thématiques du programme pluriannuel de collecte de données de l'UE (EU-MAP, EU Reg 2017/1004, décision déléguée de la Commission 2021/1167 et décision d'exécution de la Commission 2021/1168).

The Fishn’Co project, developing Regional Work Plans (RWP) for the Regional Coordination Groups (RCG) NANSEA, RCG Baltic, RCG Large Pelagics and RCG on Economics Issues, operated from January 2021 to February 2023. It brought together 13 institutes from 11 EU Member States and various experts, often chairs or leaders of RCGs and intersessional subgroups (ISSG). The project added value to the RCGs and ISSGs, complementing their work on Regional Work Plans covering thematic areas of the EU multiannual data collection programme (EU-MAP, EU Reg 2017/1004, Commission Delegated Decision 2021/1167 and Commission Implementing Decision 2021/1168). The detailed project objectives are given in Annex I and the incurred budget in Annex III.

The project was carried out in a transparent way, in consultation with data collection stakeholders such as National Correspondents (NC), Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), RCGs and EU Commission for engaging all parties into the development of the new concept which are Regional Work Plans for the considered RCGs.

During 2021, Fishn’Co Work Package 1 liaised with all relevant ISSGs to identify their objectives, ambitions, and existing gaps in the activities of coordination. This exercise helped to harmonise the activities descriptions in 13 thematic areas. Work Package 4 presented all ambitions and their state of play in infographics, now published on the RCGs’ website. Work Package 2 developed a decision-making process for the RWPs, and Work Package 3 proposed format and identified elements of coordination to put forward in a Regional Work Plan. After 6 months of work, Fishn’Co presented the results to 2021 RCGs’ technical meetings which led to two non-binding test RWPs proposed for the year 2022 by RCG NANSEA and RCG Baltic.

In the second phase from October 2021 until end February 2023, Fishn’Co focused on developing the final RWP proposals, based on the experiences and lessons learned from the first phase. Indeed, main feedback on the test RWPs from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) was a general appreciation and a recommendation to focus on developing 2025-2027 RWPs as soon as 2023, so that MS involved in RWPs have time to reflect the corresponding RWP in their own 2025-2027 national work plans (NWP), to be prepared by mid-October 2024. To take up the challenge, Fishn’Co set up a large consultation to all NCs on all aspects of RWPs to prepare the discussions during the 2022 RCG technical meetings. The consultation proved to be very successful, 24 out of 26 MS responded fully with valuable comments and suggestions.

In 2022 the RCGs approved the need to develop 2025-2027 RWP by both Fishn’Co and Streamline (twin project for the RCG Med&Black Sea) and recommended to revive the ISSG on Developing Regional Work Plan (ISSG RWP) for presentation in 2023 RCG technical meetings. Fishn’Co presented four RWPs to the EU Commission and NCs on a dedicated meeting in early March 2023 and handed them over to ISSG RWP on 21 March 2023; the RWP on Economics Issues was mature enough to be approved as is in 2023 RCG ECON technical meeting.

All planned deliverables (Annex II) were developed, although Covid-19 travel restrictions affected the coordination of activities and linkage to and between ISSGs. Fortunately, one in-person meeting could be held in Vigo in October 2022 to prepare all final deliverables, which contributed to the project's success in handing over all planned RWPs.

In terms of communication and dissemination, Fishn’Co held 7 virtual plenary meetings, presentations to RCG NANSEA, RCG Baltic, RCG Large Pelagics and RCG ECON during their sessions of 2021 and 2022. Fishn’Co worked closely with the Streamline project for the development of a Mediterranean and Black Sea RWP, and with the SecWeb project, to develop ad hoc pages within the RCGs website and hosting public materials to better understand and promote the work done in RCGs related to RWP (interviews, video, leaflet, infographics, etc.).