Ex post evaluation of the current protocol to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Seychelles and ex ante evaluation of a potential futur protocol Seychelles

DG MARE Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (European Commission) - Project Dates:
December 2018 - May 2019

Description of Project:
According to Article 34 of the current EU Financial Regulation, Commission Services have to undertake both ex-ante and retrospective evaluations for all programmes and activities which entail significant spending. The Council Conclusions on the External Dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) adopted on 19 March 2012 request that an ex-post and ex-ante evaluation be undertaken by the Commission before the signature of a new protocol. This has been enshrined in Article 31§10 of the current CFP basic regulation.

The purpose of this specific contract was to provide the European Commission with an independent ex-post and ex-ante evaluation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) with the Republic of the Seychelles (hereinafter 'Seychelles') and its implementing Protocol 2014 – 2020.

The evaluation provided the Commission with the data and technical analyses of the fisheries resources and related fishing and economic activities to decide on the opportunity to engage in a new agreement and new protocol, and prepare possible negotiations between the EU and the partner country.

The evaluation provided the Commission with information concerning how the agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles for fishing vessels flying the flag of the Seychelles to the waters of Mayotte has been operating, in view of a possible renewal of this access’s agreement too.

The Commission used this evaluation study as a tool for improving the quality and coherence of the decision-making. The study served as basis for the Commission’s evaluation report (Staff Working Document) on the subject.

Services Provided:

The evaluation was carried out by Megaspesca in association with F&S (consortium leader) and Poseidon.

A Poseidon director assisted the core team by coordinating the remote consultations of the EU stakeholders such as the departements of fisheries of relevant EU Member States, a slection of EU fishing vessel owners' associations, and the EU civil society.

SFPA evaluation reports are published on the EU bookshop.