Since December 2010, the name of the Commission is European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC).

Established in 1957 by the FAO Council under Article VI-1 of FAO Constitution, the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC) held its first session in 1960 in Dublin, Ireland. In the 1990ies, a first attempt was made by EIFAC Members and the EIFAC Secretariat to reform the Commission which lead in 1998 to a first slight amendment of the Rules of Procedure. But it was not before the second half of the first decade of the new millennium that the Members felt that it was time to carry out an in-depth review of the Commission’s function and means for action.

While the Twenty Fifth Session of EIFAC, held in Antalya, Turkey, from 21 to 28 May 2008 agreed to change the name of the Commission to European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC), the Twenty Sixth Session held in Zagreb, Croatia, from 17-20 May 2010 agreed on new Statutes and discussed and agreed on new Rules of Procedure.

Taking note that the Twenty Fifth Session of EIFAC in 2008 had agreed to change the name of EIFAC, introducing aquaculture in order to recognize the importance of aquaculture to the countries in Europe and to properly reflect the activities of EIFAC, and that the Twenty Sixth Session of EIFAC in May 2010 had agreed on new Statutes, the Council of FAO in its 140th Session has adopted Resolution 3/140 and decided to approve the revised name and Statutes of the Commission, whereby the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC) is now called European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC).

The First Special Session of the Commission in October 2011 adopted new Rules of Procedure with a two-third majority. Through the decision of the Director-General of FAO in April 2012, the current Rules of Procedure came into force.

• EIFAAC statutes
• Rules of Procedure of EIFAAC

• providing advice, information and coordination;
• encouraging enhanced stakeholder participation and communication; and
• the delivery of effective research.

• promote the sustainable development, utilization, conservation, management, protection and restoration of European inland fisheries and aquaculture resources based on the best available scientific advice and the application of an ecosystem approach, the precautionary approach and the need to safeguard biodiversity;
• identify and address strategic issues for European inland fisheries and aquaculture and provide advice and recommendations on future policies, measures and related actions needed to address the issues in a rapid and accountable manner as requested by Members;
• provide advice to managers/decision makers of inland fisheries and aquaculture as requested based on scientific, social, economic, legal and other factors; and
• serve as a forward-looking international platform for the collation, validation dissemination and consideration of information on common challenges and opportunities to European inland fisheries and aquaculture, and to this end, inter alia, proactively identify:
  • relevant scientific, social, economic, legal, statistical and other information and make recommendations for decision makers taking into account the need to protect and preserve the aquatic ecosystems; and
  • common problems and solutions, and harmonized approaches as appropriate.

Member: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom.

Following the elections at the 27th Session, the Officers of the Commission are: