The Commission presented a report on the implementation of the Common Monitoring and Evaluation System for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
The purpose of this first report is to take stock of the implementation of the Common Evaluation and Monitoring System (CMES) for shared management operations co-financed by the EMFF. A report must be submitted every four years.
As a reminder, the CMES was established to assess the progress made in the implementation of the EMFF and to support the decision-making process in this regard at both national and EU level.
The objectives of the CMES are as follows:
The report indicates that progress is being made towards the four objectives of the CMES but that further work is still required to achieve them fully.
EMFF intervention logic: the intervention logic of the EMFF is well suited to the structure of the Fund (Union priorities - specific objectives - measures), but the late inclusion of the EMFF under the umbrella of the CPR required supplementary reporting at the level of thematic objectives common to all ESIF. This added an extra layer of complexity to the intervention logic and made reporting more difficult for Member States.
Accordingly, the intervention logic should be simpler and more result oriented, showing clearly which measure or action contributes to which objectives and how is this measured.
Common indicators: the use of common indicators and the new monitoring system provide a robust set of data that can be used for monitoring purpose but also for decision-making.
Despite a series of small shortcomings and issues at different levels that have prevented an optimal functioning of the system in the initial stages, problems were identified and solved in cooperation with Member States.
Before starting the programming exercise, Member States should receive methodological framing from the Commission on the definitions of the indicators and on the calculation methods to be used for setting the targets. Common indicators should cover all investments, and Member States should have the flexibility to use supplementary indicators to be used at the national level.
Cumulative data on operations (Infosys): these data provide a 'dashboard' enabling the Commission and the Member States to better monitor progress in the implementation of the EMFF. It also allows the Commission to draw conclusions at EU, sea basin and Member State level, and has already proved very useful to support decision-making.
The report notes that the current set-up of the CMES provides useful data for assessing its contribution to the development of the fisheries sector and to the objectives of EU 2020. However, further research might be required when it comes to assessing the contribution of the EMFF to priorities related to the CFP or to maritime policy, such as the implementation of the landing obligation or the fight against marine litter. It would help if a future CMES would include indicators that are more closely related to these policies.
Common learning process: to ensure consistency and further develop the CMES, the Commission established a technical assistance facility FAME (fisheries and aquaculture monitoring and evaluation) supported by an external contractor over the seven years of the programming period.
Lastly, evaluations have not yet been finalised due to the delay in the implementation of the EMFF. A working paper is currently being developed that will provide Member States with guidance and explanations for their evaluations, which should start in 2018. Common indicators and the Infosys data should be of great help in obtaining robust evaluations in the near future.