In association with the subdivision of the work of the Commission among its three Sub-Commissions in 1964, it had been recognized that much of the productive activity within these bodies would be implemented by working parties, mainly meeting between sessions but also at the biennial sessional meetings. In 1966 the Chairman of EIFAC stressed that the expenses of experts invited by the Director-General of FAO to attend working party meetings as individuals should be borne by FAO within the limits of its budgetary provisions. In the period to 1968, funds had been allocated for the holding of expert meetings and as emolument for one consultant. The Commission strongly recommended increased funding for the biennium to 1970 to support expert meetings held by each Sub-Commission and to finance two years of consultant work for a report for Sub-Commission III.
The FAO budget and the funds allocated to the Fisheries Department are largely determined by the Member Governments who by 1966 had shown their strong interest in fisheries by the organization of a permanent Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and the upgrading of the previous Fisheries Division to a Fisheries Department. The Director of Programme Coordination and Operations of that Department stressed that FAO funded the permanent EIFAC Secretariat and many other services such as the organization of meetings, interpretation, translation, publishing and distribution of documents. Member Governments were encouraged to give more direct assistance to the Commission in its work.
The difficulties experienced in 1966 in obtaining sufficient funds to support the expanding activities of the Commission have continued throughout its subsequent history. In 1968, the Chairman observed that the then current funding would rapidly become insufficient. The work of Sub-Commission III in particular required the services of the world's best experts, but the countries to which they belonged were reluctant to allow them to devote much of their time to the needs of EIFAC. Although delegates have often been reminded that they could press their governments to give the Commission more support, this seems to have been ineffectual. However in the period of 1970–72, at least four inter-sessional working parties or consultations were planned at the full cost of the participants, thus indicating one means by which governments can provide direct financial support for activities which they approve.
In 1972, the Chairman of the Commission observed that the costs of meetings, workshops and consultations were largely borne by Member Governments, who were responsible for the expenses of participants, while the Secretariat was experiencing increased difficulties in providing the necessary central services. He considered that if the increasing workload on the Secretariat were a measure of the success of the Commission, it justified the increase in staff and financial support which had been asked for. In 1974, the difficulties were still present. A trust fund supported by voluntary contributions from interested government bodies was suggested to finance specific projects. The Secretariat was asked to explore the suggestion but it was found to have no wide support.
A more fundamental proposal to solve the financial problems was also made in 1974: that EIFAC become a Convention-based, self-financed Commission, as provided for under Article XIV of the FAO Constitution. After much discussion it appeared that most delegates were against such a change but the subject was again raised at the Ninth Session in 1976. At this Session a text agreed upon in plenary meeting confirmed that member countries had repeatedly stressed the value to them of the work of the Commission and that this value extended beyond the European region and specifically to developing countries. The Commission considered that its work should continue at a level no less than that of recent years, but despite the fact that this was largely achieved through its working parties and the publications of their results, the Programme of Work of FAO no longer provided for such meetings and even envisaged a reduction in publications.
The Commission requested the Director-General to take steps to maintain EIFAC activities at the previous level or to prepare a draft agreement under Article XIV.2a of the FAO Constitution to ensure the financial stability of the Commission with an appropriate budget to fund the Commission's activities on a yearly basis. At the Tenth Session in 1978 the Assistant Director-General, FAO Fisheries Department, summarized the discussion of the subject which had taken place at the Committee on Fisheries that year, which had endorsed the basic principles concerning decentralization, funding and coordination of regional fisheries bodies, but asked that decentralization be implemented with caution. It was appreciated by the Commission that, although additional FAO funding for EIFAC might be unlikely, FAO would be kept informed through national representation on the Committee on Fisheries of: the planned level of EIFAC activities, the necessary direct support of Member Nations, and the minimum support required from FAO.
At the same time, the Commission agreed that EIFAC should remain an Article VI body although this position could be reconsidered if circumstances changed. If member countries wished to support activities additional to those funded by FAO, this was appropriate. Thus the work of the Commission was by 1978 supported to an appreciable extent by additional funds provided by those individual Member Nations who largely financed sessions of the Commission or certain activities being of particular interest or value to them, and direct FAO funding represented a smaller proportion of the total cost of the programme than had been the case in earlier years. To strengthen this national participation in EIFAC activities, the Tenth Session recommended that EIFAC National Committees should be organized with multidisciplinary and interdepartmental membership, to ensure coverage of all facets of EIFAC activities at national level.
