Study for the assessment of the EU’s role in international maritime organisations

The present study aims to create a transparent overview of how the interests of the EU and its Member States are best represented in selected international maritime organisations (IMAOs) and, where possible, to suggest mechanisms to ensure that the EU has a single voice on the international stage. The study analyses the impact of identified shortcomings on the coherence of the EU’s position in international arenas with regard to key contemporary maritime issues, and suggests possible ways of improving the situation. The study provides an analysis and assessment of EC participation in selected IMAOs with a view to formulate suggestions for improved working methods that can potentially enhance the Union’s ability to speak with a single voice in IMAOs. The selected cases are (1) the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), (2) the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), (3) the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and (4) the International Whaling Commission (IWC).