The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean is composed of 23 contracting parties:

19 Mediterranean states · 3 Black Sea states · European Union

The GFCM also counts 5 cooperating non-contracting parties:

Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016) · Georgia (2015) · Jordan (2018) · Republic of Moldova (2017) · Ukraine (2015)

Contracting parties are any state and regional economic integration organization comprising the Commission. Membership in the Commission is open to Members and Associate Members of FAO and such non-Member States as are Members of the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies that are coastal states or regional economic organization whose vessels engage in fishing in the GFCM area of application. Contracting parties contribute to the GFCM autonomous budget and finance its functioning.

Cooperating non contracting parties are not formally associated as a contracting party with the GFCM but they actively participate in GFCM activities, attend the sessions of the Commission and commit to fully implement all GFCM recommendations.