Sittings · Document
On General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections
Committee on Fisheries · Rapporteur: Giuseppe Lupo
The Committee on Fisheries calls on the Committee on Budgets to incorporate its suggestions into the 2026 EU budget resolution, covering funding for the Common Fisheries Policy, the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, and related priorities.¶ It demands sufficient funding for sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, scientific data, small-scale fishers, island and outermost regions, and measures against illegal fishing, while opposing budget cuts.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Fisheries proposes that the Committee on Budgets incorporate its suggestions into the motion for a resolution, focusing on adequate funding for fisheries and aquaculture.¶
Key points
- Calls on the Commission to secure sufficient funding for the full implementation of the CFP by strengthening EMFAF as an independent and well-resourced instrument.¶
- Regrets the reduction of EMFAF by EUR 105 million for 2025–2027 and opposes the Council's proposed additional cut of EUR 877 542 for 2026.¶
- Welcomes the European Ocean Pact and the forthcoming Ocean Act, expecting clear targets and sufficient public funding for their implementation.¶¶
- Calls for a comprehensive analysis of ocean-related measures to simplify access to EMFAF, especially for SMEs and small-scale fishers, and to increase support for research and innovation.¶
- Expresses concern over the impacts of Russia's aggression against Ukraine on the fisheries sector, including trade disruptions and drifting sea mines, requiring sustained use of EMFAF crisis measures.¶
- Emphasises the importance of scientific data and calls for enhanced support for scientific institutions and for innovative selective and low-impact fishing technologies.¶
- Highlights the need to consider environmental, social, and economic pillars in ICES scientific advice to better allocate fishing opportunities.¶
- Calls for financial support for Marine Protected Areas and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures, with co-management and socio-economic assessments.¶
- Stresses the need for dedicated support for small-scale and artisanal fishing, including safety, working conditions, and generational renewal, with dedicated EMFAF resources.¶¶
- Calls for dedicated funds for fleet modernisation, selective gear, and low-emission equipment, and for emergency funding for climate and environmental crises.¶¶
- Calls for measures to prevent and control invasive alien species, including compensation for affected fishers and aquaculture producers.¶
- Calls for improved sustainable EU aquaculture, including a possible Common Aquaculture Policy, and for continued promotion campaigns.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Fishers, aquaculture producers, and coastal communities in the EU, especially small-scale and artisanal fleets.¶¶¶
- Island and outermost regions, which face higher costs and need dedicated funding and simplified procedures.¶¶¶
- The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and Member States, for enforcement and monitoring duties.¶¶
- Scientific institutions and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), for data and advice.¶¶
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.