EU publishes updated list of catch certificate authorities

The European Commission has published the updated list of the competent authorities of the Member States responsible for validating and verifying catch certificates under the EU’s illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing regime. The list appears in the Official Journal of the European Union, C series, of 28 August 2026, under reference C/2026/4645.

The publication is made in accordance with Article 22(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008, the EU’s core instrument against IUU fishing. It consolidates the authorities notified by each Member State under three provisions of that Regulation, covering the full life cycle of a catch certificate.

Three notification channels

The list groups the designated authorities according to the function they perform under the Regulation:

• Article 15(2) — authorities for validating catch certificates when catches made by flag-State vessels are exported, as required under Article 12(4) and the cooperation laid down in Article 20(4).
• Article 17(8) — authorities for the checks and verifications of catch certificates carried out under Article 16 and paragraphs (1) to (6) of Article 17.
• Article 21(3) — authorities for the validation and verification of the “re-export” section of catch certificates.

National designations

Most Member States have designated a single body covering all three functions. Examples include the Vlaamse Overheid – Agentschap Landbouw en Zeevisserij (Belgium), the Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (Germany), the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (Ireland), the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (Spain), the Comando Generale delle Capitanerie di Porto – Guardia Costiera (Italy) and the Havs- och vattenmyndigheten (Sweden).

Several Member States split responsibilities between fisheries and customs authorities. In France, the Centre National de Surveillance des Pêches (CNSP) and the Pôle national de Certification des Captures (PNCC) handle validation, while the Direction générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (DGDDI) and the Direction générale des Affaires maritimes, de la Pêche et de l’Aquaculture (DGAMPA) carry out checks. In Estonia, the Põllumajandus- ja Toiduamet validates certificates and the Maksu- ja Tolliamet performs checks and re-export verification.

Regional and special cases

Some Member States designate regional bodies. Portugal lists the Direcção-Geral de Recursos Naturais, Segurança e Serviços Marítimos / Autoridade Nacional de Pesca (DGRM/ANP) together with the regional authorities of the Azores (IRP) and Madeira (DRP). Finland includes the Economic Development Centre of Southwest Finland and the Government of Åland, while Poland names the Główny Inspektor Rybołówstwa Morskiego and its branches in Gdynia and Szczecin.

Landlocked Member States such as Czechia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia mark the export-validation function as “not applicable”, while designating veterinary or customs bodies for checks and re-export. The list also covers the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland, where the Department for Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the UK Port Health Authorities of Belfast, Larne and Warrenpoint are designated, in line with the Windsor Framework.

Why it matters

For EU fisheries operators, importers and exporters, the list is the authoritative reference for identifying which national body must validate, check or verify a catch certificate at each stage of the trade chain. Keeping these designations current is essential to the smooth operation of the EU’s catch certification system and to the enforcement of the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing across the Union.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, C series, C/2026/4645, 28 August 2026, notices (official reference: C/2026/4645).