Policy background The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) National quotas
Once EU TACs have been set, they are divided between Member States into national quotas. Quota is allocated to Member States in accordance with a method known as ‘relative stability’ – this grants EU countries a fixed percentage of quota for each fish stock covered by TACs. Relative stability shares (which vary by stock) were agreed in 1983 and based on Member States’ historical fishing patterns dating back to the 1970s.