United Kingdom and Norway - fisheries consultations: agreed record for 2026

Annexes

Annex 1

Terms of Reference for a Working Group on electronic exchange of data for 2026

The Delegations agreed that the Working Group on Electronic Exchange of data should meet as appropriate in 2026 under the Terms of Reference described below. The necessary technical scoping exercises can be conducted within the same Terms of Reference before the Working Group meets.

The Working Group shall seek to identify suitable technical arrangements for electronic exchange of data based on the United Nations Fisheries Language for Universal Exchange (UN/FLUX) standard.

The Working Group shall:

1. Establish templates (i.e. common principles) for electronic exchange of notification and authorisation data with the intention to revise the current bilateral arrangements between the Parties. 

2. Establish templates (i.e. common principles) for electronic exchange of fishing activities data (ERS) with the intention to revise the current bilateral arrangements between the Parties. Furthermore, identify additional reporting needs, any outstanding issues and elements that can improve performance of the current bilateral systems for ERS. Establish technical procedures and specifications which the parties could use to implement, the possibility to pull data covering fishing activities conducted before, during and after exiting the waters of the other Party, from port to port. Establish improved technical procedures to deliver RET messages directly to the fishing vessels to secure satisfactory exchange and increased quality of fishing activities data.

3. To ensure the timely, continuous, and accurate transmission of VMS data for effective monitoring and control, the Working Group will provide updates on any anticipated changes to the respective legal requirements of the Parties and consider the associated technical implementation.

The Working Group should submit its report to the Parties well in advance of the annual consultations for 2027. Reports from possible technical scoping exercises should also be submitted to the Parties well in advance of the annual consultations for 2027.