Union Européenne

Cooperation activities are not mandatory in the Polish EMFF programme, but FLAGs are encouraged to undertake them. Cooperation is considered as a good way to facilitate learning by FLAGs and to contribute to achieving their strategic objectives, which strongly prioritise job creation, both within and outside the fisheries sector. In the previous period many Polish FLAGs already proved eager to learn from FLAGs in other Member States and to share their experience with them.

As a multi-regional Member State, FLAG cooperation in Italy is encouraged as a way of sharing new ideas and innovations between regions. Italy takes a flexible approach towards cooperation, allowing FLAGs to benefit from the full range of provisions that the EMFF foresees, including exchanges where these can bring new knowledge that can be valuable to its fisheries sector.

In the Vigo-A Guarda FLAG area, shellfish gatherers are working with local wine producers and a forestry association to turn seaweed - once a nuisance to their activity - into a valuable and sustainable resource: quality compost.

High Western Rhodopes is a popular fishing destination, which creates economic and social benefits for the local communities, but also environmental concerns, such as poaching. To prevent poaching, the FLAG financed training for volunteers to protect the local environment.

Cooperation is strongly encouraged in Cyprus, both at the inter-territorial and the transnational level. The call for FLAG strategies included a specific section for cooperation plans and all three Cypriot FLAGs, therefore, received provisional approval of their cooperation proposals when selected.

FLAG cooperation in Germany is mainly viewed as a transversal tool to strengthen the impact of other areas of FLAG work. It is included in the German EMFF Operational Programme (OP) but is not an operational priority.

Cooperation is organised in different ways around Spain, depending on the region. In most regions, cooperation is organised at FLAG level, while in Galicia and Catalonia, calls for projects are organised by the regional authorities in charge of CLLD. These calls tend to be coordinated closely with the FLAGs in order to ensure they meet the needs on the ground.

The Carp Valley FLAG strategy has a clear focus on encouraging local entrepreneurship. The area, highly dependent on inland fisheries and aquaculture, uses its products as an engine for diversification, tourism promotion and awareness-raising about the assets of the territory.

Three Slovenian FLAGs are implementing a collaborative assessment of fisheries products to establish a quality system for fish products produced in Slovenia.

Une entreprise locale met actuellement en œuvre un projet pilote d’algoculture verticale intégrée dans un système d’aquaculture à recirculation afin de réduire l’impact environnemental de l’aquaculture terrestre