North Western Waters Advisory Council

Mission & Goals

The North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC) was established in September 2005 in accordance with Council Decision 2004/585/EC, which set out a common framework for Regional Advisory Councils. Regional Advisory Councils were first proposed during the review of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2002 as a method of ensuring greater stakeholder involvement in the policy making processes of fisheries management. With the entry into force of the new Common Fisheries Policy, on the 1st of January 2014 the Regional Advisory Councils became Advisory Councils. A number of changes have been adopted in relation to their role, functions and composition of their membership (i.e. from 2/3 to 60:40). The principal aim of the NWWAC is to bring together stakeholders from across Europe to advise the Commission (whether by own initiative proposals or as a result of open public consultations) on matters of fisheries management in respect of the North Western Waters,