The FLAG scheme in the governance of EU coastal areas. The cases of Ireland and Galicia (Spain)

Abstract

The current Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) combines sectoral elements and territorial development features at the local level based on the decentralised and participatory management of part of its funds, the intention of which is to accommodate the proposals articulated by the fisheries communities themselves. This study critically examines the specificities of territorial governance in EU coastal areas, focusing on the case study of the Fishery Local Action Groups (FLAGs) established in Ireland and Spain as new instruments for the application of sustainable development of fisheries areas. The role of FLAGs has been fundamental in the construction and evolution of new fishing areas, and has depended mainly on the territorial system in which they carry out their activities and on the characteristics of the governance model into which they are inserted. Following the approach of the Evolutionary Governance Theory, it is observed how the FLAG framework in each community follows different pathways and generates different effects, even when the political discourse and sectoral planning pursue similar objectives.