European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Common Fisheries Policy
European Parliament Plenary Session – April, 2020
Pursuing its efforts to uphold vital democratic functions during this critical time, the European Parliament is again holding an extraordinary plenary session on 16 and 17 April 2020, using the temporary alternative voting procedure first used in March, and with a large amount of voting time on the agenda. Continue reading
Support for fishermen affected by the eastern Baltic cod closure [EU Legislation in Progress]
Eastern Baltic cod has long supported the livelihoods of many Baltic fishermen, but stocks of this valuable fish have been declining sharply in recent years. Continue reading
Revising the fisheries control system [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 30 May 2018, the European Commission issued a proposal to revise the fisheries control system by modernising and simplifying the monitoring of fisheries activities, improving the enforcement and updating a control system that was conceived before the 2013 CFP reform. Continue reading
EU policies – Delivering for citizens: Fisheries [Policy Podcast]
The European Union has sole responsibility for the conservation of its marine fisheries resources, and manages them under the common fisheries policy (CFP). Launched in 1983 and reformed every ten years since then, the CFP has come a long way. Continue reading
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2021-2027 [EU Legislation in Progress]
As part of the next EU budget framework for the 2021-2027 period, the European Commission published its proposal for a regulation on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) on 12 June 2018. Continue reading
Multiannual plan for fisheries in the Western Waters [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 23 March 2018, the European Commission proposed a multiannual plan for management of fisheries in a northeast Atlantic area along the western coast of the EU, known as the Western Waters. Continue reading
Multiannual plan for demersal fisheries in the western Mediterranean [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 8 March 2018, the European Commission proposed a multiannual plan for the western Mediterranean fisheries exploiting several stocks of fish and crustaceans living close to the sea bottom (i.e. ‘demersal fisheries’). Most of these stocks have long been overfished and are now in an alarming state. Continue reading
Transposing international measures for Atlantic tuna fisheries into EU law [EU Legislation in Progress]
Following the approval, in June 2017, of the outcome of interinstitutional negotiations by the Committee on fisheries, the European Parliament is due to vote on a proposal for a regulation concerning the conservation of tuna and tuna-like species, and the management of fisheries targeting these stocks in the Atlantic Ocean (including adjacent seas such as the Mediterranean), with a view to reaching a first-reading agreement. Continue reading
Multiannual plan for North Sea demersal fisheries [EU Legislation in Progress]
After recent adoption of a plan concerning the Baltic Sea, this multiannual plan for North Sea demersal fisheries is the second management plan proposed by the European Commission since the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy agreed at the end of 2013. Such multiannual tools are essential for the sustainable exploitation of marine resources and offer better predictability on catches allowed to fishermen over time. They also set a framework for improved cooperation between the concerned Member States at sea regional level. Continue reading
New rules for managing the EU external fishing fleet [EU Legislation in Progress]
The European Parliament and the Council have adopted a new Regulation on the sustainable management of external fishing fleets, which replaces the ‘Fishing Authorisations Regulation’ 1006/2008, and covers all EU vessels fishing outside EU waters, as well as third-country vessels fishing in EU waters. Continue reading
How the EU budget is spent: European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
Written by Magdalena Sapala, Jean Weissenberger, The €6 396.6 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) may be the smallest of the European Structural and Investment Funds for the 2014-2020 period, but it is the principal financial tool supporting the EU common fisheries policy (CFP). Governed by Regulation 508/2014, (the EMFF Regulation), the Fund aims at providing the … Continue reading
Multiannual plan for small pelagic fish stocks in the Adriatic Sea [EU Legislation in Progress]
Written by Irina Popescu (2nd edition, updated on 9.11.2018), On 9 October 2018, Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH) adopted its report on a proposed multiannual plan to manage fisheries of small pelagic fish stocks (anchovy and sardine) in the Adriatic Sea. These stocks, which are in a poor state, are managed under a complex legal … Continue reading
Overhauling fisheries technical measures [EU Legislation in Progress]
Technical measures in fisheries govern the different fishing practices that can be used to catch fish, as well as the areas and seasons for fishing. Aimed at limiting unwanted catches and the impact of fishing on marine ecosystems, EU technical measures have developed over time into a notoriously complicated regulatory structure, which came to be seen as a plethora of ineffective rules under rigid governance. Continue reading
Multiannual plan for Baltic fisheries [EU Legislation in Progress]
Written by Jean Weissenberger (3rd edition), Multiannual plans for fisheries management are an essential tool to ensure the sustainable exploitation of fish stocks and marine ecosystems. They also offer increased predictability to fishermen in the long run. In October 2014, the European Commission proposed a multiannual plan for stocks of cod, herring and sprat in … Continue reading
North-East Atlantic fish stock disputes: The mackerel and herring conflicts
Fish stocks which migrate amongst, or are found in, the waters of several coastal states, or in international waters, require joint management to prevent over–fishing and to share fishing possibilities. However, international disputes have arisen over the fishing of some North-East Atlantic (NEA) stocks. Having withdrawn from earlier agreed international arrangements with the EU and … Continue reading
Strategic guidelines for aquaculture in the EU
Worldwide, the aquaculture industry is growing rapidly and playing an increasingly important role in ensuring global food supply, accounting for almost half of all fish and seafood consumption. In the EU, by contrast, the industry has not been part of this global upsurge, but has steadily lost ground despite the fact that the EU is … Continue reading
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (2014-20)
6 language versions available in PDF format Europäischer Meeres- und Fischereifonds (2014–2020) Fondo Europeo Marítimo y de Pesca (2014-2020) Fonds européen pour les affaires maritimes et la pêche (2014-2020) Fondo europeo per gli affari marittimi e la pesca (2014-2020) Europejski Fundusz Morski i Rybacki (2014–20) European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (2014-20) Political agreement has been … Continue reading
Women and fisheries in the European Union
In most fishing communities, women play a key role in fisheries and in maintaining households and communities. Yet, they remain largely invisible, and their roles unacknowledged. In Europe, over 100,000 women are statistically recorded as being employed in the fisheries sector; however it is still hard to measure their contribution. Statistics overlook women who work … Continue reading
Blue for EU: Library focus on the Blue Planet
June 5 is World Environment Day. And the environment is not just about, the climate, soil, air, or water…but also about the seas…so the United Nations officially recognise June 8 as World Oceans Day. Quite logically then, the Members of the European Parliament have their eyes on oceans and “blue” related matters. To keep them … Continue reading
Discarding fish under the Common Fisheries Policy: Towards an end to mandated waste
Fishermen not only catch what they are interested in or authorised to fish. The unwanted part of their catches is discarded back at sea, often dead. This is seen by many as an unacceptable waste of resources. The importance of discards varies but in some fisheries, it can be very large. Discarding practices at sea … Continue reading
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