The Agreement for the establishment of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), under the provisions of Article XIV of the FAO constitution, was approved by the FAO Conference in 1949 and entered into force in 1952. Amendments to this Agreement were approved in 1963, 1976 and 1997. The latter amendments were related to the change in name of GFCM previously "General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean" and to new obligations for the Contracting Parties including their contributions to an autonomous budget for the functioning of the Commission. These new obligations came into force on 29 April 2004.