1949 Agreement for the establishment of a General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean (amended in 1963, 1976 and 1997) 
Done at Rome, 24 September 1949
Entered into force 20 February 1952

The Mediterranean, the Black Sea and connecting waters. This area coincides with FAO Statistical Area 37.
[Map]

The GFCM was established  under an agreement adopted in Rome on 24 September 1949 and approved by the FAO Conference at its Fifth session, later that year, under the name of General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean (GFCM). The purpose of the Council was to promote development, conservation, rational management and the best utilization of living marine resources of the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The agreement which came into force on February 1952 was first amended by GFCM in 1963, then amended at the thirteenth session of the GFCM in 1976 and now amended in by the twenty second Session of the GFCM in November 1997 where the name of the GFCM was changed from Council to Commission, the concept of an autonomous budget agreed on, membership opened to regional economic integration organizations and the mandate of the Commission extended to the sustainable development of aquaculture.

Until recently, participation in the GFCM was open only to States. Amendments to the Agreement were adopted in 1997, however, permitting regional economic integration organizations (REIOs) such as the European Community to join. (The EC duly joined in 1998). The rules on membership thus stand as follows. Participation in the GFCM is open to Members and Associate Members of FAO and, subject to approval by two-thirds of existing members, any non-Member States that are members of the United Nations, of any of its Specialized Agencies or of the International Atomic Energy, that are:

i. coastal States or associate Members situated wholly or partly within the Region;

ii. States or Associate Members whose vessels engage in fishing the Region for stocks covered by the agreement;

iii. REIOs of which any State which would qualify for membership as above is a member and to which that State has transferred competence over matters within the purview of the GFCM.

The Commission is the principal organ and the main decision-making body. Every party is entitled to participate in the Commission. Most decisions are taken by a simple majority, with every party having one vote, except in the case of REIOs which are entitled to exercise a number of votes equal to the number of its Member States that are entitled to vote at the meeting. REIOs are not entitled to exercise their votes when Member States exercise their and vice versa. In addition to the Commission itself, the GFCM is composed of a number of subsidiary bodies:

(a) Committee on Aquaculture: created in 1995, held it first session in 1996

(b) Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC): established in October 1997

(c) Ad-hoc technical panels: to advise the SAC in the review of the state of the resources and thus in the formulation of management measures for consideration by the Commission.

Dispute settlement

Disputes between parties, if not settled by the Commission, are to be referred to a committee composed of a member appointed by each of the parties to the dispute, plus an independent chair chosen by the members of the committee. The recommendations of such a committee are not binding, but should become the basis for renewed consideration by the parties. If the dispute remains settled, it shall be referred to the International Court of Justice, or in the case of REIOs to arbitration, unless the parties to the dispute agree to another method of settlement.