Call for Tender for the Provision of Reporting and Analysis of European Aquaculture Consenting Processes

Tender description

BIM wishes to invite tenders for the provision of a detailed analysis and report on aquaculture consenting systems across the EU. An aquaculture consenting system refers to the regulatory and administrative process that governs the approval, licensing, or permitting of aquaculture activities, including the farming of fish, shellfish, seaweed and other aquatic organisms. It is the framework that determines who can farm what, where and under what conditions in marine or freshwater environments. EU aquaculture consenting systems vary significantly by country, in part this is due to Member States transposing EU directives (like environmental and food safety) into diverse national rules, leading to bottlenecks and stagnating growth. EU policy seeks coordination through strategic plans, but practical implementation struggles with diffuse consenting requirements, data gaps, and differing national environmental goals (like WFD vs MSFD) affecting site approval. The analysis and report will include the following countries - Scotland, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Malta, France, Netherlands The primary purpose of this tender is to develop a greater understanding of the aquaculture consenting processes in the countries listed above.