The Council has held a policy debate on the Proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a Community Fisheries Control Agency. The Council considers the Commission Proposal a good basis for work and invites Coreper to continue discussions on this Proposal. On 21 June 2004, the Council had a first preliminary exchange of views on the proposal establishing a Community Fisheries Control Agency presented by the Commission on 29 April 2004. In December 2003, the European Council agreed on the urgency of establishing this Agency and decided that the Agency will have its seat in Vigo, Spain.
Since May, the Council working group has begun to examine this proposal initially on a chapter-by-chapter basis, prior to a closer examination article by article. The most discussed issues at this stage
concern the respective competences of the Member States and the Agency. A feasibility study has now been made available. It determines the optimum organisation for the operational functions and structure of the Agency. Given that the legal basis for this proposal is Article 37, the Opinion of the European Parliament is required and is not expected before 22 February 2005.