Structure

General Assembly

The General Assembly is composed of all the members. It shall meet at least once per year.

Chair:
Yobana Bermúdez
Vice-Chairs:
Julien Lamothe & Christine Absil

Among others, the General Assembly shall:

Approve the annual report, including the financial statements, the annual strategic plan and the budget for the next year.
Establish fees to be paid by members as proposed by the Executive Committee.
Elect the chair of the MAC and the members of the Executive Committee.
Approve sale or disposal of assets of the MAC approve changes of Statutes and amendments Rules of Procedure.
Approve dissolution of the MAC.
At proposal of the Executive Committee launch the procedure for loss of membership as defined in Article 14 of the Statutes of the MAC.
Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is composed of up to 25 members, appointed for a period of three years. It meets at least twice a year.

Chair:
Yobana Bermúdez
Vice-Chairs:
Julien Lamothe & Christine Absil
60% - Value Supply Chain
40% - Other Interest Groups

The Executive Committee shall, among others:

Exercise the powers of the MAC
Decide upon general policy
Direct its affairs
Be responsible for the preparation and forwarding of advice on markets to the appropriate bodies
Prepare the annual report, the budget for the next year, the work programme for the next year
Consider the auditors’ report
Working Groups

Working Groups are established to facilitate the work, particularly the consideration of topics and the drafting of advice.

Chair:
Julien Lamothe

Vice-Chair:
Vacant

  • Common Markets Organisation and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (2014-2020).
  • Evaluation of first sale trends.
  • Impact of recovery plans on markets.
  • No-commercialization of undersized fish/juveniles in the context of new technical measures regulation and discard ban implementation.
  • Promotion and competitiveness of products.

Chair:
Pierre Commère

Vice-Chair:
Vacant

  • Supply (annual status and trends).
  • Trade with third countries: Community Custom Code, General System of Preferences (GSP), Free Trade Agreements, Economic Partnership Agreements, World Trade Organisation.
  • Monitoring of community imports and tariff situation, regulation of suspension and tariff quotas for fishery and aquaculture products.
  • Promoting social and environmental aspects of the international trade in fishery and aquaculture products.
  • Analysis of consumption trends.
  • Price developments ‘from sea to table’ (from the fisherman to the consumer) – Studying market efficiency and diversity in the Member States, inter alia, using data from EUMOFA.
  • Effects of the IUU regulation on the market.

Chair:
Benoît Thomassen

Vice Chair:
Paulien Prent

  • Labelling issues
  • Voluntary information on fish products
  • Hygiene Regulation implementation
  • Relevant contaminants legislation; additives and residues issues
  • Traceability of seafood products
  • Food fraud
  • Implementation of IUU Regulation-issues other than tackled by WG2
  • Possible revision and implementation of the Control Regulation when related to trade and markets
Focus Groups

Focus Groups may be established to prepare preliminary input for the Working Groups on specific questions or issues.

Chair:
Norah Parke

Members:

  • CRPMEM
  • DFPO
  • VisNed
  • German Fishermen Association
  • EMPA
  • Visfederatie
  • PSPR
  • ISWFPO

Terms of Reference (November 2020)

Chair:
Pim Visser

Members:

  • OPESCAYA
  • EAPO
  • Europêche
  • DPPO
  • EMPA
  • EMPA
  • ANFACO-CECOPESCA
  • AIPCE
  • CONXEMAR
  • ANCIT
  • Visfederatie
  • MSC
  • WWF

Terms of Reference (April 2020)

Chair:
Pierre Commére

Members:

  • CFFA
  • Europêche
  • WWF
  • AIPCE
  • Visfederatie
  • EMPA
  • ANFACO-CECOPESCA
  • OPPC3
  • FEAP
  • EAPO

Chair:
Brian Thomsen

Members:

  • EAPO
  • Danish Farmers Association
  • EMPA
  • Mexillon de Galicia
  • Associazione Piscicolori Italiani
  • APROMAR
  • FEAP
  • HAPO
  • CIPA
  • FEDEPESCA
  • European Fishmeal
  • CONXEMAR
  • AIPCE
  • SNCE
  • CIWF
  • Stichting Vissenbescherming
  • Eurogroup for Animals
  • Good Fish
  • Oceana
  • Recirkfisk
  • AMA

Active Observers:

  • HOTREC
  • FoodServiceEurope

Period of activity:

  • February 2024 – Present

Terms of Reference (February 2024)

Chair:
Poul Melgaard Jensen

Members:

  • EAPO
  • Visfederatie
  • AIPCE-CEP
  • MSC
  • Danish Seafood Association
  • WWF
  • Oceana

Terms of Reference

Chair:
Georg Werner

Members:

  • Europêche
  • EAPO
  • FEAP
  • FEDEPESCA
  • Bundesverband der deutschen Fischindustrie und des Fischgrosshandels e.V.
  • EuroCommerce
  • ETF
  • MSC
  • Oceana
  • MSC
  • WWF
  • Danish Society for a Living Sea
Moderator: Pedro Reis Santos Members:
  • EAPO
  • APROMAR
  • FEAP
  • ADEPALE
  • European Fishmeal
  • MSC
  • Good Fish
  • ASC
  • CONXEMAR
Terms of Reference (June 2024)
Secretariat

The Secretariat is responsible for and leads the daily work of the MAC. It is appointed for three years terms.

Secretary General
Pedro Reis Santos

Pedro holds a Bachelor degree in Law and a Master’s degree in International Law and International Relations from the University of Lisbon with a thesis titled “Marine Protected Areas beyond National Jurisdiction”.

Before his appointment, in July 2019, as Secretary General, Pedro worked as a consultant for a Brussels-based business intelligence service monitoring EU developments on fisheries, agriculture, food, animal welfare, alcohol and tobacco policy.

Prior to that, he was a trainee at the Fisheries Unit of the Council of the European Union and a trainee at the Control Unit of the Portuguese Fisheries Authority.

Besides his first language, Portuguese, he speaks English and Spanish.

Financial Officer
Dawlat Bik

Dawlat Bik holds a Bachelor degree in Commerce (Accountancy and Administration) from Delhi University, a Master degree in International Financial Management From Groningen University, and a Master degree in Commerce (Financial Accounting & Taxation from Pune University. Additionally, he holds a diploma in United Nations and International Understandings from the Institute of UN Studies in India.

Before joining, in November 2022, as Finance Officer, Dawlat worked as accounts payable and treasury accountant in an international company specialised in ground support equipment. He has experience working in financial management for the Flemish Government as well as in the private sector and in Non-Profit Organisations.

Besides his first language, Persian, he speaks English, Dutch, Hindi, and Arabic. He is currently learning French.

Administrative Officer
Maximilian Schwarz

Max holds a Bachelor degree in Biology from Maastricht University and a Master degree in Aquaculture & Marine Resource Management from Wageningen University. He specialised in ocean governance and explored the interface between science and policy in his thesis.

Before taking on the role as Administrative Officer, Max was a Blue Book Trainee in DG MARE, where he worked on follow-up action to the Commission's 'fisheries and oceans' package. In addition, he spent considerable time expanding his knowledge on the Technical Measures Regulation and the EMFAF.

In addition to his role as Administrative Officer, Max holds the position of International Affairs Officer at the European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD).

Max speaks English, German, and Dutch.