Technical measures and the procedural jigsaw

The document examines the TCMF Proposal's approach to combining common EU-level technical measures with regionalised measures. It argues that regional measures must be supported by robust scientific evidence to ensure they are at least as effective as baseline measures in achieving CFP and TCMF objectives. The briefing details how the regionalisation process under Article 18 of the CFP Basic Regulation links technical measures to discard plans and multiannual plans (MAPs), and discusses the necessity of coherence between fisheries management and EU environmental laws, such as the Nature Directives and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

• The TCMF Proposal establishes common objectives and targets for EU waters, including specific targets to limit catches of species below minimum conservation sizes to 5% by volume and to ensure bycatches of non-commercially exploited species and seabed habitat impacts do not exceed legal or environmental limits.
• Common technical measures are fundamental prohibitions and restrictions based on scientific evidence that apply across all EU waters and cannot be modified at a regional level.
• Regional technical measures may deviate from baseline measures provided they are supported by robust scientific evidence demonstrating they are at least as effective as the baselines in terms of exploitation patterns and protection of sensitive species and habitats.
• The regionalisation process under Article 18 of the CFP Basic Regulation serves as the default mechanism for Member States to submit joint recommendations for technical measures, which will feed into discard plans in the medium term and multiannual plans (MAPs) in the longer term.
• The TCMF Proposal ensures coherence with EU environmental law through common measures protecting sensitive species and habitats, and via Article 25, which allows for the adoption of nature conservation measures that complement the specific requirements of the Nature Directives and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).

APA

Tacconi, F., & Veitch, L. (2016). Technical measures and the procedural jigsaw. ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/v2whbs0y/technical-measures-and-the-procedural-jigsaw-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

Tacconi, Flaminia, and Liane Veitch. Technical measures and the procedural jigsaw. ClientEarth, 2016. https://www.clientearth.org/media/v2whbs0y/technical-measures-and-the-procedural-jigsaw-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tacconi |first1=Flaminia |last2=Veitch |first2=Liane |title=Technical measures and the procedural jigsaw |publisher=ClientEarth |date=November 2016 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/v2whbs0y/technical-measures-and-the-procedural-jigsaw-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tacconi2016technical, author = {Tacconi, Flaminia and Veitch, Liane}, title = {{Technical measures and the procedural jigsaw}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/v2whbs0y/technical-measures-and-the-procedural-jigsaw-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }