European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, highlighted the role of the European Fisheries Control Agency in fisheries management and combatting, in his address at an event celebrating the agency’s 20th anniversary held at the Limassol port on Monday. Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panayiotou said that the 20th anniversary of the EFCA is an “important milestone.”
The event, also attended by the Executive Director of the EFCA, Susan Steele, was held on board the EFCA patrol vessel “Ocean Sentinel,” which operates in the Mediterranean Sea and docked at the DP World Limassol terminal.
According to Kadis, these patrol vessels are the symbols of mutual trust and the EU’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding our marine resources through Joint Deployment Plans under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
He also recalled the patrol boat’s participation in a search and rescue operation south of Crete last week and the rescue of migrants in danger, thanking the EFCA crew and staff “for their professionalism and for the effective cooperation with the Greek national authorities that made this operation possible”.
Reflecting on the EFCA’s progress over the last two decades, he said that ‘we see an agency that has profoundly influenced fisheries governance across Europe. It has played a vital role in promoting common standards for control, inspection and surveillance under the European Common Fisheries Policy. ”
“The EFCA’s vigilance in the Mediterranean has played a critical role in combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, especially from third countries, thereby greatly contributing to the sustainability of vital marine ecosystems,” he added.
Among other things, Commissioner Kadis referred to two “important initiatives” related to the EFCA ‘s work, the first being the implementation of the revised fisheries Control Regulation, which advances the digital transition of fisheries control and further strengthens EFCA’s role.
“Secondly, we are focusing on enhancing international fisheries management in the Mediterranean through the GFCM, aiming to ensure a level playing field among all the Mediterranean countries and foster a culture of compliance,” he continued, pointing out that this supports sustainable fisheries, prevents illegal practices, and establishes robust fisheries governance in the region.
In this context, Kadis said that an initiative to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing has been included in the recently adopted Pact for the Mediterranean and pointed out that “EFCA will have an important role to play in the implementation of this initiative”.
Commissioner Kadis also made special reference to the actions that will be highlighted during the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026, such as the organization of European Maritime Days in Limassol, the adoption of the European initiative for ocean and sea monitoring, the presentation of the European strategy for islands and coastal communities, the high-level conference on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean, with the participation of third countries in the region, and the presentation of the results of the Common Fisheries Policy evaluation.
Expressing his confidence in the success of the Cyprus Presidency, Kadis said he looked forward to close cooperation between the Commission and the Cyprus Presidency in promoting priorities relating to fisheries and the ocean.
For her part, the Minister of Agriculture expressed her delight that Cyprus had been chosen to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the EFCA, noting that this “underlines our country’s strategic role in protecting Europe’s marine resources and ensuring their sustainable management.”
“The presence of the EFCA patrol vessel, Ocean Sentinel, in Cyprus reinforces the message of our joint effort to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and protect marine ecosystems,” she said, adding that “this vessel symbolises Europe’s action, surveillance and commitment to sustainable fisheries.”
In addition, she stressed that Cyprus, through the Ministry’s Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, is actively participating and will continue to strengthen its cooperation with the EFCA, aiming to further strengthen control mechanisms, the use of technology, and the protection of marine resources, “so that we can ensure a clean, healthy, and productive marine environment for future generations.”
Panayiotou also said that the 20th anniversary of the EFCA is an important milestone for the European Union and demonstrates what we can achieve through cooperation, solidarity, and our commitment to responsible and fair fishing.
In her address, EFCA Executive Director Susan Steele said that sustainability of fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea that is shared with non-EU countries, is vital to the EU, and that the agency has contributed to the implementation of international regulations established by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
Among other things, she mentioned that in 2024, 33,360 inspections were carried out under the Mediterranean plan, while in 2025 inspections continue to be carried out smoothly with very good participation by member states.
She also stressed that the EFCA’s involvement in projects across Africa and soon in the Indian Ocean is effective in strengthening the fight against illegal fishing, and that demand for EFCA’s support is growing year by year.