North Western Waters AC – General Assembly

The North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC) is a representative and legitimate EU fisheries stakeholder body which is legally recognised as an organisation aiming an European Interest. It is established in Ireland and it produces regular advice on its own initiative or at request of the European Commission and the concerned Member States on all relevant matters related to fisheries management in the EC offshore waters within the EEZ of Ireland, part of United Kingdom and France (ICES areas Vb, VIa and VII).

Essentially, the NWWAC is an open forum for dialogue between the fishing sector (both industrial and small scale fleets, with representatives of catching and processing sectors and trade unions) and other groups of interest, including environmental NGOs, consumers representatives, recreational anglers and civil society.

The European Commission has recently acknowledged that the current Advisory Councils have been one of the main achievements of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2002, allowing better access to information and helping to improve understanding of decision making at European level. In addition, the ACs have also contributed to create regional networks where experiences and ideas circulate more readily across stakeholders and public in general across the Atlantic Arc.