Developed as part of the EU Social Partners’ latest project under the Sea Fisheries Social Dialogue Committee, the platform goes far beyond a traditional project website. It captures the outcomes of years of cooperation between workers and employers in the fisheries sector and positions them within a broader strategy for sustainable and socially just fisheries.

“We often see how lack of access to clear information can cause parties to get stuck in developments. This publicly-accessible platform is designed to provide everyone with relevant updates on social policy actions, in a user-friendly way. It’s more than just a digital space, it’s a living tool that gives access to useful material, tools and policy recommendations with the purpose to improve the social dimension of fisheries,” said Cor Blonk, Chair of the Sea Fisheries Social Dialogue Committee.

Recognised in the 2020 Eurofound report[1] as the representative bodies for the sector, Europêche and ETF have been central actors in EU social dialogue. Their work through the Committee continues to produce results with international relevance.

Shaping global standards

The Committee’s policy work and actions extend well beyond the EU:

• The Guidelines on the Medical Examination of Fishers, developed by the social partners, were adopted at the joint ILO–IMO committee meeting in February 2024 and are being proposed as the basis for an IMO model course[2].
• The Fair Recruitment Guidelines of Migrant Fishers, developed under the latest project, will serve as a reference during the ILO’s 2025 Tripartite Meeting of Experts, helping shape new international standards for fair recruitment in the fishing sector[3].

These developments highlight the Committee’s growing voice in global labour policy and its ability to turn dialogue into meaningful, institutional change. “Social dialogue is more than just dialogue, it’s about delivering meaningful impact on the ground”, said Juan Manuel Trujillo, Workers’ Spokesperson. “This platform reflects our impact and opens up new ways to share knowledge, tools, and ideas with the entire fishing community helping to build a stronger, safer and more attractive sector.”

What the platform offers

The new digital hub features key components of the Committee’s joint work:

• A clear introduction to who we are and how EU-level social dialogue functions in the fisheries sector;
• Access to core tools and deliverables, including the Fishery Speak App, Recruitment Guidelines, and Medical Examination Guidelines;
• Dedicated space for project outcomes;
• A hub section to keep stakeholders informed and engaged with the Committee’s ongoing work.

The platform is designed as a living tool that will grow and incorporate future actions, guidance and contributions from across the EU fisheries community.

As the fisheries sector continues to face complex challenges — from labour shortages and safety risks to climate pressures — this new hub offers a shared space for solutions, dialogue and action, built on the work of social partners.

The platform is available at: https://socialdialogueseafisheries.eu

[1] Eurofound (2020). Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Sea fisheries sector. Study for the Sectoral Social Dialogue Series. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Dublin. Available online.

[2] International Labour Organization (2024). New guidelines on medical examination of fishers adopted by the International Labour Organization and International Maritime Organization. News release, 22 February 2024. Available online.

[3] International Labour Organization (2024). ILO underlines power of social dialogue to promote decent work in fisheries. News release, 5 December 2024. Available online.

Press Contact:

Rosalie Tukker, Senior Policy Advisor of Europêche │ Email: rosalie.tukker@europeche.org 

Andrea Albertazzi, Fisheries Policy Officer of ETF │ Email: a.albertazzi@etf-europe.org

EU Social Dialogue Press Release – New digital hub

Safety and health at sea have always been a top priority for both partner organisations involved in the EU project. This action seeks to propose concrete improvements to the EU fisheries policies that could offer better health, working conditions and safety at sea for fishers. In addition, the project aims at enhancing socially responsible fish sourcing and consumption in the EU market.

The activities of the project will run for the next two years. The Social Partners will meet during the European Maritime days of 2023 (Brest, France) and of 2024 (Svendborg, Denmark) to assess, measure and make progress. The final results will be presented in Brussels in the second half of 2024.

About the EU project

The project, co-funded by the EU, partially implements the work programme of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Sea Fishing in order to significantly make progress in various key areas of interest for Social Partners.

Pillar 1: Guidelines for vessel owners on decent recruitment of migrant fishers. The guidelines will be based on EU legislation and other binding international instruments and be used to constitute model contracts between a fisher and a private employment agency, between a fishing vessel owner and a private employment agency, and fisher’s work agreement.

To be developed by international expert on social affairs, Estelle Brendtall.

Pillar 2: Training programme for doctors performing medical examination of fishers. In the previous project, the Social Partners successfully developed guidelines on the medical examination of fishers. As a continuation of this work, it is essential for doctors, who conduct medical examinations and issue medical certificates, to receive training via guidance which fit the specificities of sea fishers.

To be developed by International Maritime Health Association (IMHA).

Pillar 3: Legal analysis on market and custom tools to combat forced labour in the fishing industry. This pillar will explore the possibility for EU to restrict or prohibit seafood imports from fishing vessels or countries identified for child or serious labour abuse including no respect of basic human rights on board fishing vessels.

To be developed by Marinnleg foundation.

Pillar 4: Upgrade of the ‘’Fishery Speak’ app, an interactive glossary, providing an overview of the main phrases used on board a fishing vessel. The aim of this upgrade is therefore to add further languages identified as essential and the necessary uploads and technical updates of the mobile application.

To be developed by IT company, Innatial developers SL.

Press contacts:

Daniel Voces, Europêche Managing Director (+32.2.230.48.48 or daniel.voces@europeche.org)

Andrea Albertazzi, ETF Fisheries Policy Officer (+32.470.93.05.89 or a.albertazzi@etf-europe.org)

EP Press Release – Launch pillars of the sea