The basic texts of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are the legal instruments that define its mandate, objectives and functions.

These texts can be downloaded at the links below:

• Agreement for the establishment of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean  (En | Fr | Es | Ar)
• Rules of Procedures (En | Fr)
• Financial Regulations (En | Fr )

The Agreement for the establishment of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) was approved at the fifth session of the FAO Conference in 1949 under the provisions of Article XIV of the FAO Constitution. It entered into force on 20 February 1952.

Since then, the GFCM has amended its basic texts several times. The agreement, in particular, underwent four amendments: in 1963, 1976, 1997 and, lastly, in 2014. These amendments related to the change in name of the GFCM (previously "General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean"), to new obligations for the contracting parties, including their contribution to an autonomous budget for the functioning of the Commission, to the development of efficient mechanisms for subregional cooperation and to ensure compliance with binding recommendations adopted by the GFCM.

The financial regulations were last amended in 2023 and the rules of procedure in 2022.

The status of acceptance of the GFCM Agreement can be found here: EN | FR