Marine Management Organisation
Operational Programme
Articles 17 to 20 of the EMFF Regulation (EU) 508/2014 require participating states to produce an operational programme for the EMFF. The operational programme sets out how states intend to spend their EMFF budget and is subject to approval by the European Commission (EC) and the UK Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC). The Programme Monitoring Committee is composed of representatives from Industry and EMFF Authorities; members are responsible to review the implementation of the Operational Programme and the UK progress toward achieving its objectives. The original operational programme was approved by PMC and submitted to the European Commission on 30th October 2015 and adopted by the Commission on the 30th November 2015, enabling the launch of the EMFF in the UK by the Minister on 8th February 2016.
Since launching, the UK have submitted two requests to the PMC and the EC to modify the operational programme, both requests were approved in 2020.
The first amendment was triggered by the need to reallocate the EMFF performance reserve (0.3 million) for Integrated Maritime Policy. This amendment provided further opportunity for devolved administrations to review their core budgets and set out options for budget moves to meet their respective industry demands. The 2023 targets pertinent to the UK scheme were modified based on actual scheme performance, many targets were stretched to better reflect the value of the UKs 243million investment. This amendment was approved by PMC on the 12th December 2019 and adopted by the Commission on the 26th March 2020.
The second amendment was made in response to the Commissions implementation of Regulation (EU) 2020/560 which provided measures to mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the fishery and aquaculture sectors, as well as the flexibility to move funding from previously ring fenced areas. This amendment enabled UK Intermediate Bodies to deliver Coronavirus response schemes through the EMFF. England and Northern Ireland set out initiatives for the catching sector focussing on Health and Safety and Temporary Cessation of fishing efforts respectively. Support to aquaculture enterprises was established through Public Health Measures in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This amendment was approved by PMC on the 9th June 2020 and adopted by the Commission on the 12th August 2020.
The third amendment to the Operational Programme enabled the re-allocation of surplus funding planned for Coronavirus-response initiatives and from those under-performing measures into more heavily subscribed measure. This also allowed further opportunities in utilising any remaining allocation to plan for existing projects requirements, particularly where projects are likely to increase in value as a result of external factors including exchange fluctuation, Coronavirus and the Ukraine Crisis.
This amendment was approved by PMC on the 15th December 2022 and adopted by the Commission on the 16th February 2023.
The Operational Programme amendments undertaken to date have facilitated an increase of 1.9million EMFF into industry-facing measures.
You can view an approved copy of the current operational programme alongside the Commission Implementing Decision here:
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