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Implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and future perspectives

TA-9-2024-0045 · P9_TA(2024)0045 · PE719.724

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 26 Sept 2026

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Parliament's resolution assesses how the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has been implemented and sets out future perspectives. It finds socio-economic, food security and ecosystem aspects were given too little weight, and asks for the CFP to be better implemented and, where needed, reformed. It calls for full impact assessments, more regionalisation and a stronger role for Advisory Councils, and for a Commissioner dedicated exclusively to fisheries, aquaculture and maritime affairs. It asks to make the landing obligation more pragmatic, to set total allowable catches (TACs) for longer periods, and to keep relative stability as the basis for sharing stocks. It seeks support for small-scale and outermost-region fleets, generational renewal and women's role, and a common definition of small-scale fishing. It calls for action on climate change, decarbonisation of the fleet, aquaculture growth, recreational fisheries data, and stronger action against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and imports.

Key points

  1. Recalls that the CFP must make fishing environmentally sustainable long term while delivering economic, social and employment benefits and food supply, and regrets that since 2014 socio-economic, food supply and ecosystem aspects were under-considered.
  2. Says the CFP must be implemented and, where needed, reformed and adapted, keeping a balance between the three pillars of sustainability and strengthening its socio-economic and food security dimensions.
  3. Calls on the Commission to systematically conduct full ex ante and ex post impact assessments, including socio-economic analyses, before proposing strategies or legislation.
  4. Considers the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) objective should be applied in light of practical reality and socio-economic, proportionality and food security dimensions, and developed as part of an ecosystem-based model.
  5. Calls for the landing obligation to be applied pragmatically, with existing exemptions maintained, quota swaps and selectivity encouraged, and its scope reviewed to limit choke species and complex derogations.
  6. Calls on the Commission and Council to consider setting TACs for longer than annual or biannual periods and to seek advice on removing TACs for certain stocks.
  7. Underlines that relative stability is widely accepted as an essential instrument for long-term predictability and continuity in sharing fish stocks between countries.
  8. Calls on the Commission to propose measures to decarbonise the fleet, address ageing vessels and improve safety and working conditions, including redefining fishing capacity.
  9. Requests a Commissioner dedicated exclusively to fisheries, aquaculture and maritime affairs, and proposes observer status for Parliament in annual fishing-opportunity negotiations.
  10. Stresses strengthening regionalisation and the role of Advisory Councils, and calls for a procedure to show how their advice is taken into account.
  11. Takes the view that a CFP review should include a common, broad definition of small-scale, artisanal and coastal fisheries going beyond vessel length.
  12. Calls for action on climate change, aquaculture growth, recreational fisheries data, and stronger measures against IUU fishing and on imports.

Who is affected

  • EU fishers and fishing fleets, who would face changed rules on quotas, landing obligation and capacity.
  • Small-scale and artisanal fishers and shellfish gatherers, who would get a common definition and more involvement.
  • Outermost regions, whose specific needs would be addressed under Article 349 TFEU.
  • Aquaculture producers, who would be supported to grow low-impact production.
  • Third-country exporters and IUU operators, whose products would face stricter monitoring and certification.

Figures and deadlines

  • 2020 deadline to achieve the MSY exploitation rate for all stocks, which the EU did not meet.
  • 2025 deadline for MSY-based fishing mortality levels in the Western Mediterranean multiannual plan.
  • 85 % of EU vessels are small-scale coastal vessels (less than 12 metres in total length).
  • Small-scale coastal fishing defined as vessels of an overall length of less than 12 metres not using towed gear.
  • 32 000 lives lost every year in the fisheries sector globally.
  • 62,4 % of incidents on fishing vessels result from human factors; 23,2 % from system/equipment failures.
  • Almost 75 % of the total seafood consumed in the EU is imported from third countries.
  • 94 % in 2021: share of imported tonnages in finfish supply.

Legal basis: Articles 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 38, 39, 43 and 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).