Germany - Report on the implementation of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund for 2023

EU Member States are obliged to submit an annual implementation report on the implementation of their national operational programmes under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). COFAD was commissioned to assist with the preparation of the German report and, in particular, compiled the required data from the federal and state governments.

In accordance with EU Regulations 1303/2013 and 508/2014, Member States must submit an annual implementation report on the implementation of their national operational programmes under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The annual implementation reports contain important information on the implementation of the programme, including the financial progress and the achievement of the programme objectives. The last of these implementation reports, for the 2023 reporting year, is more detailed, contains additional annexes and fulfils the functions of a final report for the entire funding period.

As the EMFF programme was implemented by the federal government and eleven participating federal states due to Germany's federal structure, the preparation of the implementation report is complex and requires an intensive exchange between all parties involved. For this reason, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) put the preparation of the report out to tender and commissioned COFAD to provide support in the preparation of the report.

Our main task was to request, compile and collate the information and data from the federal and state governments, rather than to produce our own independent assessment. The draft report was presented by COFAD to the EMFF Monitoring Committee. The BMEL submitted the report (Part A) to the EU Commission. A summary was also prepared for the public.