Based on the mandate provided by the Resolution of June 2008 taken by the Council of ACP Ministers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the first Meeting of ACP Ministers in charge of Fisheries was convened from 2nd to 5th June 2009, with the view of creating an ACP mechanism for coordination and cooperation in fisheries. At the end of its proceedings on the 18th of November, the 90th ACP Council of Ministers, meeting in Brussels approved the creation of an ACP Ministerial Fisheries Mechanism with the objective to shore up political support, both within the group and from its external partners and the creation of a Trust Fund for the mechanism to be financed by the voluntary annual contribution of Member States and grants from other sources.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), which met near Recife, Brazil, adopted a number of new multi-annual management plans which align fishing opportunities with the latest scientific opinions. The European Commission is particularly satisfied with the consensus reached on the recovery plan aimed at Eastern bluefin tuna, whose total allowable catch for 2010 has been reduced to 13500 tonnes (as compared to 22000 tonnes in 2009). This will be accompanied by drastic cuts in fishing capacity. ICCAT also approved additional management measures for Mediterranean swordfish which will, on the one hand, reinforce the protection of juvenile fish through more stringent closure of fishing activities at the end of the year and, on the other, foresee the adoption of a long-term management plan at the 2010 ICCAT meeting on the basis of up-to-date scientific advice. Once again this year, bluefin tuna has been high on the agenda of the ICCAT meeting.

The European Commission has welcomed the adoption of a Convention for the setting up of a new regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO), to manage non-tuna fish stocks in the south Pacific, in Auckland, New Zealand. This Convention will allow to fill in the large gap that currently exists in the international conservation and management of non-highly migratory fisheries and in the protection of biodiversity in the marine environment in the high seas areas of the South Pacific Ocean. This development has been achieved after three and a half years of negotiations and the holding of eight diplomatic conferences. The Convention text represents one of the most modern examples of fishery management legal instrument, encompassing ecosystem considerations together with the precautionary approach principle and purely fishery management ones. The Convention is the fruit of the efforts by several States from the west and east Pacific as well as by a number of major long-distance fishing nations.

As global fish stocks continue to plunge, fish farming is seen as a way of contributing to food security. The EU has pledged to increase the competitiveness of European aquafarming to meet a growing appetite for seafood, but policymakers stress that this must go hand-in-hand with farming to restore fish stocks. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that over 70% of the world's fish species are already either fully exploited or depleted. And while the impact of global overfishing is typically measured in environmental and economic terms, depleted fish stocks also threaten the food security of millions of people who are dependent on fish for food.

Over the years, the European Community has developed strong political and economic relationship with countries from ACP regions, known collectively as the ACP Group, notably through the signing of the Cotonou Agreement in 2000. Fisheries is one of the economic sectors that has received continuous support from the EC through the European Development Fund, both at regional and national levels. Considering the economic and social importance of fisheries in many ACP countries, EU-funded projects designed to develop fisheries administrations’ planning and management capacities have been implemented in partnership with concerned ACP States with a view to enhance food security and create employment. ACP FISH II is a Programme financed by the European Commission under the 9th European Development Fund, with an overall amount of 30-million Euros, aiming at strengthening fisheries management in ACP countries.

The 2976th Council meeting on Agriculture and Fisheries held in Brussels on 20 November 2009 adopted a regulation establishing a modernised system for inspection, monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement of the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) throughout the market chain, "from net to plate". The new regulation includes the provisions on Control and monitoring, sanctions, inspection powers, cooperation among member states and coordinating authority. The new regulation will replace the existing legal framework laid down in Council regulation No 2847/93 as from 1.1.2010 for most of its provisions and as from 1.1.2011 for certain provisions requiring implementing measures.

The Lisbon Treaty, signed by the 27 Member States in 2007, is set to provide the European Union with modern institutions optimizing working methods to tackle today's challenges in a changing global world. The Lisbon Treaty is going to change the old relationship between EU and ACP countries, rationalizing the EU development architecture. Revisiting the Common Commercial Policy, the Lisbon Treaty changes EU trade policy, which action includes “the integration of all countries into the world economy, including through the progressive abolition of restrictions on international trade”.

The 2974th External Relations Council meeting held in Brussels on 17 November 2009 welcomed the work done under the Swedish Presidency and calls for further work on the idea of establishing an integrated approach to maritime surveillance, through a common information sharing environment in order to promote more interoperability and make best use of existing systems on a cross-sectoral basis, and facilitate safe and secure exchange of information while ensuring complementarity of efforts, thus improving safety, security, cost effectiveness and efficiency, maritime situational awareness, and the facilitation of maritime transport calling at a European port or passing through European waters or its approaches.