Monitoring and evaluation
The evaluation will assess the measures to protect European eel under the Eel Regulation, and in particular the contribution of the national Eel Management Plans established and implemented under this Regulation to the recovery of the stock of European eel. These Plans include measures to ensure the escapement to the sea of at least 40% of adult eels relative to the escapement levels that would have existed in the absence of human influences, such as limiting (professional and recreational) fisheries; making it easier for fish to migrate through the rivers; restocking suitable inland waters with young eel.
The Commission attempted a first assessment of the outcome of the implementation of the Eel Management Plans in 2014, on the basis of the first progress reports submitted by Member States in line with article 9 of the Eel Regulation and reported to the European Parliament and to the Council. The results of this first assessment were largely inconclusive due to the delays in the preparation and approval of the national Eel Management Plans.
Services Provided:The evaluation assessed the measures taken for the recovery of European eel stock under the Eel Regulation and their contribution to the achievement of the objectives of this regulation, on the basis of several criteria, such as the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, EU added-value and sustainability of the measures taken under the Regulation.
The evaluation looked in particular into the content and implementation of the Eel management plans and Member States reporting under the Eel Regulation to assess if they had adequately addressed all mortality factors affecting the eel stock, with a special emphasis to the design and implementation of restocking measures and the management of glass eel fisheries.
It will also covered enforcement and monitoring issues, both in marine and in inland waters. The evaluation also looked into the articulation and coherence between the Eel Regulation and other EU rules in place such as the Common Fisheries Policy, the fisheries control regulation and environmental legislation, in particular the Water Framework Directive. It will also looked into the articulation and coherence with international instruments that cover eels, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). The evaluation also covered biological aspects and the use of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund(EMFF)10 for the implementation of the Eel Regulation.
The evaluation covered the entire period since the entry into force the Regulation. The evaluation results will be used in order to inform the decision whether the Eel regulation needs to be reviewed or whether it is the implementation which needs to be improved. It will provide evidence for a possible future impact assessment and/or guide the Commission in improving the implementation of the Regulation.