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OPINION (COM(2025)0551 – C100175/2025 – 2025/0227(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Global Europe

PECH-AD-786710

Committee on Fisheries · Rapporteur: Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez

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The Committee on Fisheries gives its opinion on the proposed Global Europe regulation, the EU's external action funding instrument. It proposes amendments to add fisheries and aquaculture throughout the text. The amendments require sufficient funding for fisheries and aquaculture, treat these activities as strengthening competitiveness and growth, and require coordination with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). They demand a level playing field with partner countries, equivalent standards for imports, and support for the EU's zero-tolerance approach to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. They add rules-based ocean governance, ocean diplomacy, the European Ocean Pact, and attention to Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories. They also add biodiversity, climate, gender equality and human rights provisions, and require Parliament to be consulted on funding and action plans.

Committee position. The Committee on Fisheries proposes amendments to the Global Europe proposal to strengthen fisheries and aquaculture, ensure sufficient funding, promote a level playing field and equivalent standards, reinforce ocean governance and the fight against IUU fishing, and coordinate the instrument with SFPAs and RFMOs.

Key points

  1. Partnerships under the instrument should promote EU social, economic and environmental standards, and the Commission should ensure fair competition and a level playing field between EU and partner-country fishers and aquaculture producers.
  2. The Commission and member states should ensure that trade and partnership agreements in sustainable fisheries guarantee a level playing field, and that all imports meet the same or equivalent standards as those for the EU.
  3. The instrument should focus more on EU competitiveness and reducing dependencies, and address climate change, biodiversity protection and food security while ensuring a level playing field.
  4. SFPAs are described as a strategic instrument of EU external action contributing to food security, ocean governance, fleet competitiveness and a level playing field, and should be integrated into broader bilateral partnerships and coordinated with actions under the instrument.
  5. Special account should be taken of Article 349 TFEU for Outermost Regions and Article 203 TFEU for Overseas Countries and Territories, which are geostrategic assets for maritime security, food security and monitoring of exclusive economic zones.
  6. Fisheries and aquaculture activities may be considered environmental activities and activities strengthening competitiveness and growth, supporting decent employment, coastal communities and the small-scale sector.
  7. Activities related to the external dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), including SFPAs and EU participation in RFMOs, should be clearly identified and traceable for transparency and parliamentary scrutiny.
  8. Sufficient funding for fisheries and aquaculture is needed under the Global Europe Fund, complementing SFPAs and contributing to a level playing field and equivalent standards on sustainability, control, transparency, traceability and working conditions.
  9. The instrument should strengthen the rules-based international order at sea and promote compliance with international obligations and the EU's zero-tolerance approach to IUU fishing.
  10. The external dimension of the CFP should be understood broadly, covering international ocean governance, the European Ocean Pact, the Pact for the Mediterranean, ocean diplomacy and cooperation on sustainable blue economy, marine conservation and maritime security.
  11. A new objective covers the external dimension of the CFP, including SFPAs, EU participation in RFMOs, international ocean governance and cooperation with partner countries on sustainable blue economy, marine conservation and maritime security.
  12. Support for fisheries and aquaculture actions is conditional on compliance with international fisheries rules, measures against IUU fishing, and promotion of fair competition and sustainable resource management.

Who is affected

  • EU fisheries and aquaculture sectors: the amendments seek a level playing field, fair competition and equivalent import standards.
  • Partner countries and their operators: partnerships should promote EU standards and sustainable resource management.
  • Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories: their geostrategic role and fisheries resources should be considered.
  • The Commission: it should consult Parliament and the Council, ensure coordination mechanisms and involve stakeholders.
  • Coastal and fishing communities, including the small-scale sector: activities should support employment, social cohesion and resilience.

Figures and deadlines

  • 0.7 % of gross national income as official development assistance, within the timeframe of the 2030 Agenda.
  • Around 80% of the seafood consumed in the Union comes from imports.
  • Limiting the global average temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, pursuing 1.5°C.
  • Up to 3% of the financial envelope for the pillars referred to in Article 3(1), point (a) may be indicatively allocated to cross-border cooperation programmes.