The legal update includes fisheries and aquaculture producer organisations (OPP), associations of fisheries and aquaculture producer organisations (AOP) and interprofessional organisations (IPO)
It covers the structure of professional organisations and sets out the different modalities in which they are covered, as well as the rules governing the granting or withdrawal of recognition.

The Council of Ministers adopted, on a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, a Royal Decree amending the existing rules on the regulation of professional organisations in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The new regulation is in line with the Community legislation laid down in the Regulation of 17 December 2013 on the common organisation of the market in fishery and aquaculture products, which is responsible for regulating the functioning of professional organisations.

The Royal Decree sets out the basic rules in order to achieve a higher level of association, which will help to improve the competitiveness and professionalism of the sector, and promote the social, economic and environmental profitability of its activities. Professional organisations in the fisheries sector include fisheries and aquaculture producer organisations (OPP), associations of fisheries and aquaculture producer organisations (AOP) and interprofessional organisations (IPO).

These organisations are defined as the sector of the economy which includes all the activities for the production, processing and marketing of fishery or aquaculture products, the role of which and its tools for action have been enhanced by the new CMO. The new rule provides, on the one hand, for the structure of professional organisations and determines the different forms in which they are covered, as well as the rules governing the granting or withdrawal of recognition.

It also contains important aspects on the regulation of the measures envisaged by professional organisations, such as time-limits for submission and procedures, as well as the development of production and marketing plans and their respective annual reports, the management of the storage mechanism or the application of standards extension. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment will make available to professional organisations and the various administrations a shared computer application, which will enable the effective functioning of producer organisations and their associations. It should be noted that professional organisations may receive financial support for the implementation of certain measures, as set out in the Community Regulation on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.