Points System for Serious Infringements

Ireland’s points system for serious infringements of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), required under EU law, is now in effect. This follows the establishment of of the Points System on the 21st January 2021 with the appointment of the independent Determination Panel made up of three legal professionals nominated by the Attorney General. All EU Member States are obliged to establish a points system to be applied to the licence holders of fishing vessels when a serious infringement of CFP rules is detected. The points system is intended by the EU to be a more immediate and harmonised sanction so that regardless of where in the EU a serious infringement is committed, the licence holder will receive the same number of points.