Changes from plenary report to adopted text

RemovedMOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

AddedP10_TA(2026)0121

Changedon theThe role of ocean diplomacy for the competitiveness of EU fisheries and aquaculture

Removed(2025/2054(INI))

AddedCommittee on Fisheries

AddedPE777.039

AddedEuropean Parliament resolution of 28 April 2026 on the role of ocean diplomacy for the competitiveness of EU fisheries and aquaculture (2025/2054(INI))

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The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 2, 3(5), 43, 349 and 355 thereof,

– having regard to the EU’s common fisheries policy (CFP) and its external dimension,

– having regard to the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks,

– having regard to the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction of 19 June 2023 (the BBNJ Agreement),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2025/2077 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 October 2025 amending Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 on certain measures for the purpose of the conservation of fish stocks in relation to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 June 2025 entitled ‘The European Ocean Pact’ (COM(2025)0281) and to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 24 June 2022 entitled ‘Setting the course for a sustainable blue planet – Joint Communication on the EU’s International Ocean Governance agenda’ (JOIN(2022)0028),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 16 October 2025 entitled ‘The Pact for the Mediterranean – One Sea, One Pact, One Future’ (JOIN(2025)0026), in particular Section II.6 thereof, entitled ‘Promoting a sustainable Blue Economy’,

– having regard to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,

– having regard to the agreement to prevent unregulated high seas fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean,

– having regard to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies adopted by the ministerial decision of 17 June 2022,

– having regard to the reports of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) entitled ‘Review of the state of world marine fishery resources – 2025’ and ‘The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024’,

Changed– having regard to its previous resolutions on ocean governance, fisheries and the blue economy,– having regard to its resolution of 17 October 2023 on the implications of Chinese fishing operations on EU fisheries and the way forward,economy,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 17 October 2023 on the implications of Chinese fishing operations on EU fisheries and the way forward,

▸5 unchanged paragraphs

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A10-0043/2026),

A. whereas oceans and seas cover 71 % of the Earth’s surface and over 65 % of the EU’s territory; whereas thanks to its outermost regions giving it a presence in every ocean, the EU oversees the world’s largest collective maritime area, comprising 25 million km² of exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and a coastline of over 70 000 km; whereas 40 % of people in the EU live within 50 km of the sea;

B. whereas the EU fishing fleet, which embodies the EU’s presence on the seas, comprises approximately 69 000 vessels, 75 % of which are used by coastal and small-scale fishers, and is one of the most sustainable and strictly regulated fishing fleets in the world; whereas it faces shrinking quotas, high operating costs, administrative and regulatory burdens, the ageing of the fishing fleet and fishers, a lack of incentive to attract new generations into the sector, and unfair competition from non-EU countries with lower standards; whereas fair competition and sustainable fisheries management are key components for a prosperous and profitable sector, as shown in the 2024 annual economic report on the EU fishing fleet;

C. whereas the lack of equal conditions for EU and non-EU fishers has led in recent years to a significant loss of EU vessels, which have either been exported temporarily or sold to non-EU countries; whereas when an EU vessel leaves a fishing ground under a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO), it is replaced by a vessel from a non-EU country, usually operating under lower environmental and social standards; whereas at the same time, imports from such countries into the EU market are increasing;

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ChangedD. whereas the EU’s fisheries and aquaculture sector contributes around EUR 5.55,5 billion per year to the EU economy and provides direct employment to around 193 000 fishers and aquaculture producers across Europe; whereas the EU has a fish processing and canning industry with a significant socio-economic dimension that must also be preserved and strengthened;

E. whereas the EU imports 70 % of its seafood, creating strategic dependency, undermining self-sufficiency and risking exposing the sector to unfair practices; whereas this state of affairs requires traceability and transparency provisions, stronger border controls and the harmonisation of customs mechanisms and automatic safeguard and reciprocity clauses, in addition to the establishment of an EU import control office to ensure that all imports comply with standards equivalent to those applicable in the EU;

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ChangedF. whereas the EU is a contracting party to 18 RFMOs and four regional seas conventions and plays a leading role in multilateral negotiations on fisheries management and marine conservation; whereas the EU recognises that RFMOs are the building blocks of international ocean governance for the management and conservation of fish stocks and are essential instruments for fostering international ocean diplomacy, strengthening cooperation among coastal and fishing nations and ensuring the sustainable governance of the high seas;G. whereas the EU has 20 sustainable fisheries partnership agreements (SFPAs); whereas despite seven of them being dormant, the SFPAs create a network of agreements with partner countries, which also constitutes a platform for further cooperation in relation to global fisheries management and international ocean governance;seas;

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AddedG. whereas the EU has 20 sustainable fisheries partnership agreements (SFPAs); whereas despite seven of them being dormant, the SFPAs create a network of agreements with partner countries, which also constitutes a platform for further cooperation in relation to global fisheries management and international ocean governance;

H. whereas ocean acidification, marine litter, overfishing, plastic pollution, invasive species, habitat degradation and climate change through rising sea temperatures and the growing frequency of marine heatwaves pose a significant threat to marine biodiversity, while illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfishing and shadow fleets threaten global and EU biodiversity and fisheries, and create unfair competition for EU fishers;

I. whereas shadow fleets and opaque ownership structures represent a distinct and heightened threat to maritime security, public health and safety in coastal areas, including through the increased risk of oil spills, accidental discharges, hazardous waste releases and other incidents that endanger human life, livelihoods and coastal ecosystems;

J. whereas freedom of navigation and the ability to operate at sea are increasingly challenged worldwide and essential maritime infrastructure faces growing risks;

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ChangedK. whereas hybrid threats, cyberattacks and recent acts of sabotage transcend borders, since they include damage to pipelines and underwater communication cables, global positioning system (GPS) interference in the Baltic and the Black Sea and assaults on shipping routes in the Red Sea; whereas tackling the exposure of maritime infrastructure, sea lines of communication, and global trade to hybrid threats, cyberattacks, piracy and rising geopolitical tensions, and therefore threats to maritime security, has become a strategic priority for the EU’s economy, connectivity and digital sovereignty;L. whereas the fifth round of negotiations for a future global plastics treaty took place in August 2025 but without consensus on a treaty;sovereignty;

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AddedL. whereas the fifth round of negotiations for a future global plastics treaty took place in August 2025 but without consensus on a treaty;

M. whereas Brexit introduced new complexities to fisheries governance in the North-east Atlantic, negatively affecting structured and orderly cooperation in fisheries management and ocean governance, including quota allocation, access to fishing grounds and trade dynamics;

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ChangedN. whereas Regulation (EU) 2025/2077 strengthens the EU’s ability to act against non-sustainable fishing practices carried out by non-EU countries, by defining clear criteria for ‘failure to cooperate’, grounded in international law and independent scientific evidence, with the aim of safeguarding shared fish stocks, reinforcing cooperation within RFMOs and ensuring a level playing field for EU fishers operating under high sustainability standards;O. whereas the European Ocean Pact proposes six key priorities for the EU, including strengthening EU ocean diplomacy, protecting and restoring ocean health, enhancing maritime security and advancing ocean research and knowledge;standards;

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AddedO. whereas the European Ocean Pact proposes six key priorities for the EU, including strengthening EU ocean diplomacy, protecting and restoring ocean health, enhancing maritime security and advancing ocean research and knowledge;

Strengthening ocean diplomacy

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Changed1. Emphasises that the EU should continue to lead the international ocean governance agenda, as it is uniquely positioned, considering the size of its maritime area, the geostrategic position of the outermost regions in all oceans, its historical leadership, its economic relevance and weight, and its legal and regulatory leadership; recalls that the EU has the largest EEZ in the world and is already one of the front runners in the sustainable management, protection, safeguarding and restoring of its marine habitats and resources for future generations;2. Stresses that the ocean is a geopolitical and economic asset central to Europe’s competitiveness and cultural identity, and that ocean diplomacy is part of international ocean governance; believes that this should not be limited to geopolitical or security approaches only but should also take in consideration general ocean management and governance, which reflect the environmental, economic, cultural, social and territorial dimensions of the sea and the importance of the sea to fishing communities and the communities of the coastal, island and outermost regions;generations;

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Removed3. Calls for the mainstreaming of ocean diplomacy in the EU’s external action, including development, and its common foreign and security policy, to defend a rules-based maritime order through multilateral cooperation in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); notes that enhanced cooperation among Member States and EU agencies, in particular the European Maritime Safety Agency, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the European Fisheries Control Agency, the European Environment Agency and the EU Agency for the Space Programme, would help ensure the sustainable exploitation of marine resources, promote EU environmental, economic and social standards, notably in international organisations including the FAO, the International Labour Organization and the WTO, and counter IUU fishing, through stricter controls on unregulated fishery imports and stricter conditions for accessing EEZs;4. Underlines the importance of tackling shadow fleets, piracy, intimidation and hostile or violent acts originating from non-EU countries to the prejudice of EU fishers and EU maritime infrastructure, through specific measures such as naval missions, satellite monitoring using Copernicus, and naval drones; calls for the strengthening of EU military, non-military and naval missions dedicated to monitoring and combating IUU fishing activities, trafficking and phantom fleets, and controlling the safety of vessels; recalls that trafficking and phantom fleets are increasing the risk of major pollution incidents and endangering coastal areas and their populations; suggests the establishment of an EU emergency and remediation facility to assist in response and recovery efforts following environmental accidents linked to these operations;

Added2. Stresses that the ocean is a geopolitical and economic asset central to Europe’s competitiveness and cultural identity, and that ocean diplomacy is part of international ocean governance; believes that this should not be limited to geopolitical or security approaches only but should also take in consideration general ocean management and governance, which reflect the environmental, economic, cultural, social and territorial dimensions of the sea and the importance of the sea to fishing communities and the communities of the coastal, island and outermost regions;

Added3. Calls for the mainstreaming of ocean diplomacy in the EU’s external action, including development, and its common foreign and security policy, to defend a rules-based maritime order through multilateral cooperation in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); notes that enhanced cooperation among Member States and EU agencies, in particular the European Maritime Safety Agency, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the European Fisheries Control Agency, the European Environment Agency and the EU Agency for the Space Programme, would help ensure the sustainable exploitation of marine resources, promote EU environmental, economic and social standards, notably in international organisations including the FAO, the International Labour Organization and the WTO, and counter IUU fishing, through stricter controls on unregulated fishery imports and stricter conditions for accessing EEZs;

Added4. Underlines the importance of tackling shadow fleets, piracy, intimidation and hostile or violent acts originating from non-EU countries to the prejudice of EU fishers and EU maritime infrastructure, through specific measures such as naval missions, satellite monitoring using Copernicus, and naval drones; calls for the strengthening of EU military, non-military and naval missions dedicated to monitoring and combating IUU fishing activities, trafficking and phantom fleets, and controlling the safety of vessels; recalls that trafficking and phantom fleets are increasing the risk of major pollution incidents and endangering coastal areas and their populations; suggests the establishment of an EU emergency and remediation facility to assist in response and recovery efforts following environmental accidents linked to these operations;

5. Welcomes the objective of the European Ocean Pact to develop an integrated strategy that unites maritime policies and builds coherence across sectors, by integrating, among others, ocean diplomacy, the blue economy, environmental responsibility, protection, an industrial maritime strategy, fisheries and aquaculture production, maritime security, trade, and development policy; underlines that, through a combination of naval deployments, infrastructure surveillance, insurance and market stabilisation measures, enhanced cyber defences and robust legal enforcement, the EU can maintain secure and dependable trade routes and fishing spots, thereby bolstering its credibility and leadership in the global rules-based order; calls for ‘oceans summits’ to be organised regularly at EU level, involving all relevant ministers, Parliament and the Commission, to follow up on the implementation of the European Ocean Pact and to develop strong and dynamic international ocean governance and ocean diplomacy, contributing to a broader EU ocean agenda and to the global rules-based order;

6. Welcomes the new Pact for the Mediterranean as a flagship initiative to strengthen peace, stability and prosperity in the region; notes, in particular, the emphasis on promoting and improving legal frameworks relating to RFMOs and combating IUU fishing in the Mediterranean through capacity building, monitoring, control and surveillance; notes also the aim of helping to mobilise large-scale regional projects that create opportunities for people and business; underlines that the Mediterranean fishing fleet is predominantly composed of small-scale vessels, accounting for around 80 % of the total EU fleet in the region, and that it and the fleets of neighbouring countries are already facing multiple challenges that affect the sector’s attractiveness and socio-economic sustainability; recognises the importance of fostering regional cooperation on maritime security, environmental protection and the sustainable development of the blue economy; calls on the Commission, in close partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean and other regional bodies, to prioritise the implementation of this pact and to draw on the experience and best practice of previous initiatives of this kind to ensure tangible benefits for coastal communities, with a particular focus on young people, women, small businesses, ecosystems, food sovereignty and economic resilience across the basin and the connected Black Sea;

7. Calls on the Commission to make full use of robust international ocean governance and ocean diplomacy as a strategic tool to advance common objectives and EU strategic interests through its participation in RFMOs and through its network of SFPAs, with a particular focus on sustainable governance, thereby ensuring a genuine level playing field, compliance and fair competition between EU fishers and those of non-EU countries, while emphasising the need for the EU to maintain a fishing fleet that can take advantage of the new fishing opportunities created by the expansion of SFPAs to secure EU food sovereignty, while contributing to local economic resilience and sustainable resource management;

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Changed8. Welcomes the announcement of a new generation of SFPAs, as outlined in the European Ocean Pact, which are aligned with the EU’s regional strategies for Africa and the Indo-Pacific; stresses the need to ensure that these agreements respect scientific advice and human rights, while further deepening bilateral cooperation with partner countries and strengthening common action in international forums such as RFMOs, and that they also reinforce the EU’s global leadership in promoting sustainable fisheries partnerships; emphasises that this new generation of SFPAs should also provide an opportunity to improve fleet sustainability, reduce pressure on highly exploited stocks, diversify the origins of fishing products and reduce the EU’s dependence on fishing products from non-EU countries; calls on the Commission to adopt a globally influential communications strategy to assert its ambitions and its leadership;9. Calls for attention to be given to dormant agreements, to either activate them by initiating negotiations or terminate them, in order to enable EU operators to explore other arrangements in compliance of applicable EU rules, such as direct authorisations; underlines that the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies of 2022 explicitly excludes SFPAs from its scope;leadership;

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Added9. Calls for attention to be given to dormant agreements, to either activate them by initiating negotiations or terminate them, in order to enable EU operators to explore other arrangements in compliance of applicable EU rules, such as direct authorisations; underlines that the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies of 2022 explicitly excludes SFPAs from its scope;

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10. Calls, furthermore, on the Commission to persist in its efforts, notably through its action in RFMOs, its network of SFPAs and memoranda of understanding, to bring greater transparency and accountability to all fishing nations, especially those that not uphold the same high social, safety and sustainability standards as EU fleets, ensuring that they endorse standards that protect workers in line with International Labour Organization conventions, provide detailed information on their fleet activities, report their catches accurately and comply with conservation and management measures;

11. Calls for the EU and its Member States to promote the implementation of the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, to protect small-scale fishers’ tenure rights and access to fishing resources and to ensure the participation of small-scale fishers in the decisions that affect them;

12. Calls on the Commission to explore, with Mediterranean partner countries, ways to promote and harmonise shared management of marine resources and a level playing field in terms of rules and controls, regional stability and security, in order to secure the long-term economic future of operators, for example, by deepening cooperation in RFMOs or concluding an SFPA;

13. Stresses that SFPAs must guarantee fair and non-discriminatory treatment of EU vessels, with access fees and conditions that are proportionate, transparent and aligned with the principle of a level playing field; underlines that all vessels operating in partner countries’ EEZs should be subject to the same financial and technical requirements as EU vessels, for instance through mirror measures; calls for the strengthening of the non-discrimination clause in future SFPA protocols to prevent partner countries from granting more favourable conditions – financial or technical – to other foreign fleets; emphasises the need for effective monitoring and enforcement of these clauses, noting the current lack of detailed information in Commission evaluations regarding their implementation and effectiveness; calls, therefore, on the Commission to systematically include comprehensive analysis and data on this aspect in future SFPA evaluation reports;

14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, in order to improve the implementation of the IUU Regulation, to address the lack of transparency in the fishing sectors of non-EU countries that results, for example, from flags of convenience, flag hopping, complex corporate structures and a lack of public information on beneficial owners; highlights, furthermore, the importance of preventing the EU fleet from being replaced by less sustainable non-EU fleets;

15. Considers it important for an EU presence and access to fishing grounds for vessels flagged in the EU to be prioritised in negotiations; believes that having vessels flying the flags of EU Member States is preferable for food supply, and its control and sustainability, and contributes to the EU’s strategic autonomy in food security;

16. Recognises the strategic importance of joint ventures in fishing as a useful model of cooperation between the EU and non-EU countries; highlights the fact that these schemes generate economic and social value, both within the EU and in non-EU countries, while ensuring the supply of high-quality and sustainably caught marine protein to EU consumers, helping to promote responsible fishing, fair employment and sustainable growth, and contributing directly to several Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to the EU’s objectives in ocean governance;

17. Notes with approval the joint communication of 24 June 2022 from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the EU’s international ocean governance agenda and the Commission’s recent adoption of the European Ocean Pact, the implementation of which must be supported by the necessary financial means, which includes the EUR 1 billion pledged at the third United Nations Ocean Conference for voluntary commitments to safeguard marine biodiversity and reinforce the development of a sustainable blue economy; welcomes the integration of the European Ocean Pact into the Competitiveness Compass as a strategic element for long-term EU growth, while regretting the risk of competition among maritime sectors for access to the funding;

18. Calls for the EU to support relevant stakeholders in establishing a European maritime industrial alliance that integrates fisheries, aquaculture, shipbuilding, shipping, strategic investments and technology, while acknowledging the interdependence of all maritime sectors in terms of competitiveness, employment, energy and digital transitions and the sustainable use of marine and aquatic resources;

19. Calls for the European External Action Service (EEAS) to significantly increase investment in the training of EU diplomats on ocean-related issues, with a particular emphasis on strengthening expertise in maritime and ocean governance within EU delegations and missions to non-EU countries, especially coastal countries; stresses the need to enhance their understanding of EU blue economy investments, operations and challenges within their areas of competence, and in line with the Global Gateway strategy; calls for the involvement of the EEAS in promoting the strategic importance of the European Ocean Pact, with support or guidance from the relevant directorates-general of the Commission, including the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE);

Fisheries and aquaculture competitiveness