EU Budget 2028–2034: a non-starter without a reinforced specific fund for fisheries  

Europêche expressed deep disappointment at the European Commission’s proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which foresees a 67% cut in ring-fenced funding for fisheries, reducing the allocation to just €2 billion.

‘This proposal is inconsistent with the EU’s stated priorities on competitiveness, resilience and food security,’ said Javier Garat, President of Europêche. ‘The Common Fisheries Policy is one of the few fully European policies. To strip it of a fully-fledge fund is not just inconsistent – it ultimately dismantles the very policy itself.”

The sector raised concerns about the merger of fisheries financing into wider macro-funds, exposing operators to competition with larger industries. Maximum aid intensity rates will also be completely left on the hands of Member States, which is bound to create distortions and unfair competition within the common market. Europêche appreciated the constructive talks held with the Commissioner and Member States aimed at finding ways to ensure that funding for fisheries is safeguarded at no less than the present level.

This support is vital for fishers to continue investing in new technologies, ensuring safer and better working conditions, attracting new talent to the profession, leading the transition to a low-carbon future and staying competitive in global markets.

Fishing opportunities for 2026: progress recognised, but zero-TAC advice threatens communities

While welcoming the Commission’s latest communication acknowledging the good management of EU stocks, Europêche voiced serious concerns over zero-catch proposals and poor data categories.

• Baltic Sea: Europêche recalled that the current regime shifts stems from environmental pressures (pollution, predation by seals and cormorants, oxygen depletion), not fishing. Therefore, further reductions in bycatch quotas appear to be more symbolic than effective and would force many fishing companies to shut down. Europêche thus urged to maintain bycatch quotas for cod and herring and to adopt effective management measures for seals and cormorants.
• Mediterranean: The sector highlighted the significant progress made through reduced fishing effort (>40%) and strict management measures. Europêche called on EU policy-makers to grant additional fishing days as a reward for these sacrifices and to remove Mediterranean red shrimp from the quota system.
• North-East Atlantic: Europêche, echoed EU Advisory Councils recommendations stressing that ICES advice continues to be overly precautionary, with many stock assessments still based on limited data and precautionary assumptions that unfairly penalise the sector. In addition, zero-TAC proposals for cod, haddock, and whiting would have devastating consequences for coastal communities. Europêche urged EU policy-makers to move away from zero-catch approaches, maintain bycatch quotas, and factor in socio-economic impacts when setting quotas for key species to soften the severity of proposed cuts. 

Europêche raises the alarm on EU–UK–Norway and international fisheries talks

Europêche reaffirmed its commitment to cooperation with the UK and welcomed the 12-year extension of reciprocal fishing access until 2038. However, the organisation warned that new restrictions risk turning this agreement into empty words. In particular, recently adopted marine protected areas (MPAs) in Scottish waters and Stage 3 MPA proposals will force many vessels out of UK waters. Europêche considers many of these closures unjustified, disproportionate and discriminatory since European vessels will suffer nearly five times greater economic losses compared to UK vessels operating in the same areas. On top of this, the closure of the sandeel fishery—still in place despite a favourable arbitration ruling—is damaging the fleet. Europêche urged both sides to find political solutions and adopt mitigation measures to safeguard EU fishing communities.

On the wider stage, Europêche voiced strong concerns over the poor state of key pelagic stocks such as mackerel, herring, and blue whiting— following years of overfishing by other Coastal States, such as Norway, Russia and Faeroe Islands. The organisation called on the Commission to take a tougher line: secure fair and sustainable sharing arrangements through high-level diplomacy and by applying market pressure and targeted trade measures against unsustainable practices. In the meantime, Europêche insists that EU and national authorities must clearly explain that proposed catch limits (TACs) are based on scientific advice and therefore sustainable. Consumers, retailers, and the market at large must continue to trust, sell and eat EU-caught mackerel since it remains a sustainable choice. 

Fisheries Control Regulation: improvements welcome, but weighing rules unacceptable

The sector acknowledged progress on the implementation of the Control Regulation following Commission engagement and adjustments to address stakeholder concerns. However, Europêche warned that proposed weighing rules remains unacceptable and regrets that adopted derogations on margin of tolerance remain unapplicable in practice. Europêche appreciated constructive dialogue with Commissioner Kadis and his cabinet to develop workable solutions at technical level.

Competitiveness Compass: call for an omnibus proposal

Europêche welcomed the Commission’s push to simplify EU rules—but warned the big EU strategies and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) revision is moving far too slowly, with no real impact expected before 2030. The sector called for an urgent omnibus proposal to cut red tape and simplify fisheries rules, highlighting that the farming sector has already enjoyed fast-tracked reforms. All sides agreed to continue working on concrete proposals.

Free Trade Agreements: open markets cannot mean unfair competition

In her State of the Union address, President von der Leyen highlighted that fishers are facing ‘high input costs, red tape and unfair competition’. Inspiring words — yet, in practice, new FTAs with Indonesia and Thailand will allow low-standard duty-free tuna imports. Europêche called for its exclusion or impose strict origin rules.

Under the new EU-US deal, the EU faces a 15% tariff on its seafood exports to the USA, while thousands of tonnes of American seafood, enter the EU market tariff-free. This imbalance has hit European companies hard and created zero business opportunities for EU seafood exports. The sector urged to seek tariff derogations for EU seafood products in the next round of negotiations.

Press Contact:

Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche | Email: daniel.voces@europeche.org │ Phone: +32 489 26 81 07

EP Press Release – Meeting Kadis MS

Parties had set themselves a deadline of 31 March 2023 to reach an agreement on the allocation of Northeast Atlantic mackerel quotas. They held three further rounds of consultations during the months of February and March in London and Nuuk (Greenland), but to no avail. Talks are now suspended until the end of September, with the position of Chair moving from the UK to Iceland.

Tim Heddema, spokesperson for the EU pelagic fishing industry, comments: “Unfortunately, in these negotiations there seems to be a distinct lack of constructive diplomacy, with tactics of antagonising predominating over relationship building. While we commend the efforts of the European Commission on behalf of the EU, it is our understanding that other parties did not want to engage in a final push towards a deal, leading to a premature end of the final round in the last week of March. We’ve seen parties act in an almost Trumpian way, overasking significantly while blaming others to be too ambitious. It also appears difficult to exclude the flawed, one-dimensional criterion of zonal attachment, promoted by some Coastal States, from the discussions”.

In the absence of an agreement, the industry in the EU calls on parties who have in recent years set inflated quotas for themselves not to repeat this unsustainable and unacceptable behaviour. It also urges anew the Commission and the Council to act decisively if such a situation occurs, for example by using its power as the main market for the other Coastal States’ seafood exports.

Heddema adds: “The concerns of other stakeholders like processors, retail and sustainable fisheries certifiers are legitimate. They would however do well to recognise the responsible fishing behaviour of the EU and the UK, who have stuck to the shares agreed in 2014 by the main Coastal States. This has been a factor in the resilience of the stock, which in scientific terms has suffered overfishing but is not overfished, meaning biomass is still within safe limits. What we need now is an all-inclusive agreement, between all six Coastal States, respecting real track records, not those artificially and irresponsibly increased. Any more delay will heavily affect the fishing opportunities and market position of EU fishers. The EU industry will continue to fish sustainably and to engage with all involved, to help protect this valuable resource”.

Press contact:

Tim Heddema, Chair of the EAPO Northern Pelagic Working Group and Europêche Board Member: +31625045602 | theddema@pelagicfish.eu

EP and EAPO Press Release – NEA mackerel sharing arrangement consultations

Picture: © Chris Gomersall 2020 vision

Over the past days, first the Faroe Islands and then Norway decided to unilaterally set large excessive quotas for their share in the mackerel fishery in 2022, at 35% and 19.6% of the scientific advice for total catches respectively. They continue to fish at the same irresponsible, unrealistically inflated levels as in the past year, when both countries increased their shares by 55%. The basis for Norway’s decision, the zonal attachment approach[1], was in this case recently judged by scientists from all involved Coastal States as highly flawed, since the data on geographic distribution is incomplete and gives room for multiple interpretations.

These actions fly in the face of the ongoing efforts to reach agreement on a sharing arrangement between all involved Coastal States for the Northeast Atlantic mackerel stock. Although the Coastal States have set the total fishing opportunities for 2022 in line with scientific advice (794,920 tonnes), total catches will  again be much higher due to the fact that most parties are fishing substantially more than would be allowed on the basis of the last agreed shares. At this point only the EU and the UK are sticking with quotas based on the most recent sharing arrangement in place.

Tim Heddema, chair of the EU pelagic fishing industry, organized under the banner of EAPO and Europêche, comments: “This overfishing remains entirely unjustified and at odds with the sensible and sustainable fisheries management that the world supports and demands. It puts unacceptable pressure on a stock that is of great importance for many European fishing nations. While appealing to Norway and Faroe Islands to work in partnership for the benefit of all, we now need a strong voice from the EU, and moreover, we need strong action. The solution is not to sit back and leave it to the EU to compensate for the recklessness of others by fishing less ourselves, which in turn is further disadvantaging the EU industry’s market position. Instead, the EU has plenty of options available to counteract and deter this unacceptable behaviour, such as – but not limited to – using its power as the main market for the other Coastal States’ seafood exports. We are calling on the Commission for immediate action. In addition, with regard to further negotiations on the sharing arrangement, the EU needs to make it 100% clear that it will not accept the current overfishing to count towards an increased fishing track record for those parties concerned.”

[1] ‘Zonal attachment’ of a stock refers to the share of the stock residing within a particular country’s economic zone, if necessary weighted by the time it spends in a country’s zone over a year.

Press contact:

Tim Heddema – +31625045602 / theddema@pelagicfish.eu

EP and EAPO Press Release – 2022 NEA mackerel quotas Norway and Faroe Islands

In a position paper sent to EU decision-makers the sector points out severe operational problems such as port and equipment supply restrictions, logistical difficulties, and soaring freight prices on shipments of fish. With regard to commercial factors, the sector shows concern over the collapse in first-sale fish prices, largely due to the closure of restaurants, schools, businesses and food markets and the strict limitations imposed on travel and tourism. Europêche reminds EU consumers that seafood is a vital part of a healthy diet and remains a safe, smart choice at grocery stores. Europêche underlines that the industry is increasingly limited in performing crew rotation or changes due to quarantines, get supply of drugs or protective materials or simply repatriate fishermen.

In order to alleviate as much as possible the current situation of trade and value chain disruptions and evaporating market demand resulting in falling price levels, Europêche asks for legislative changes to enable fishermen to carry over more than the existing 10% of their fishing quotas to next year and for fair intervention prices for unsold fish. In the document, the industry demands a series of measures that guarantee the logistical needs of crews and ships, such as the transport of crews, equipment, health protocols tailored to each fleet and guaranteeing the supply of masks and gloves both to ships and to fish markets or fish auction halls.

Europêche also urges policy-makers to modify the fisheries fund regulation in order to quickly adjust and provide financial aid for those fishing companies that are forced to cease their operations for imperative reasons such as member states measures to avoid the spread of the COVID-19, designation of high risk areas, crew infections or lack of market demand.

In addition to these vital mitigation measures the sector calls on Member States to introduce national measures such as VAT reduction, suspension of social security contributions and tax exemptions.

Furthermore, in view of the current developments, it only seems logical to extend the Brexit transition period with another 12 months at least, although Europêche understands that such decision depends on agreement by the UK.

Daniel Voces, managing director of Europêche, declared: “Our fishermen are doing a fantastic job. While far away from their homes and families, they continue bringing healthy seafood to our plates in a very challenging environment. They deserve the full attention of our public authorities to secure their safety, their economies and the continuity of the food supply”.

EP Letter to Commissioner Sinkevičius on COVID-19

EP and EAPO Letter response Impact of COVID-19 on the fishery sector

Press contacts:

Rosalie Tukker, Policy Advisor of Europêche: +32 2 230 48 48  rosalie.tukker@europeche.org

EP Press Release – COVID-19