On the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy and follow-up

B100387/2026

European Parliament resolution on the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy and follow-up

(2026/2778(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to Article 38 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–having regard to Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC,

–having regard to the evaluations of the European Commission concerning the implementation of the common fisheries policy (CFP),

–having regard to the persistent economic difficulties faced by the European fisheries and aquaculture sectors,

–having regard to the strategic importance of fishery resources for the food security of the Member States,

–having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1004,

–having regard to its resolution of 18 December 2025 on the decarbonisation and modernisation of EU fisheries, and the development and deployment of fishing gear,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas the number of fishing vessels decreased from 120 000 in 2000 to 85 000 in 2020;

B.whereas the Member States remain dependent on imports from third countries for 70 % of their needs;

C.whereas the incomes of European fishers remain insufficient and, after more than 10 years of application of the 2013 CFP reform, the profitability of the sector continues to deteriorate;

D.whereas the ageing of European fleets and port infrastructure is a major issue for competitiveness, crew safety and the energy transition;

E.whereas small-scale fisheries are an essential pillar of the European maritime economy, contribute to the dynamism of coastal territories, support local employment and help maintain a local economic fabric; whereas they also play an important role in preserving traditional know-how, the maritime identity of our coastlines and the social cohesion of coastal communities;

F.whereas the EU accounts for less than 1 % of global aquaculture production despite the many European strategies adopted in recent years;

G.whereas seafood products constitute a strategic issue for food sovereignty, particularly in the new geopolitics of proteins, essential to a healthy and balanced diet, and cannot be considered a simple adjustment variable of the global market and trade agreements;

H.whereas there has been a significant increase in populations of certain protected predatory species, notably cormorants, as well as a proliferation of invasive and non-native species in European waters;

I.whereas these phenomena have economic, environmental and social consequences for commercial fishing, small-scale fishing, aquaculture and recreational fishing;

J.whereas the outermost regions possess specific geographical, economic and maritime characteristics which justify particular consideration in the design of European fisheries policies;

K.whereas these territories play a strategic role in the maritime power of the Member States and should therefore be promoted, as they face significant structural constraints requiring appropriate support measures to preserve fishing activities, local employment and food sovereignty;

L.whereas the fishing profession involves the highest occupational accident risks in the world and crew safety and good working conditions at sea are essential for the attractiveness of the sector;

M.whereas generational renewal in the profession is a major challenge for ensuring the sustainability of the European fisheries sector, preserving maritime know-how and guaranteeing the future of many fishing businesses;

N.whereas this renewal is also indispensable for maintaining our food sovereignty and the sustainable valorisation of national marine resources;

O.whereas the definition of fishing capacity in gross tonnage makes no distinction between space used to catch fish and space used for the crew safety, accommodation, sanitary and resting facilities, for the onboard preservation of catches or for cleaner propulsion and fuel storage systems; whereas this creates a direct disincentive to invest in safer, more modern and more energy-efficient vessels;

P.whereas the average age of the EU fleet exceeds 31.5 years, and whereas the eligibility conditions laid down in Articles 13, 17, 18 and 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1139, in particular the 24-metre length threshold and the 40-year age limit, exclude a large part of the fleet from support for renewal, engine replacement and safety improvements;

Q.whereas the EU has no operational definition of ‘innovative’ or ‘sustainable’ fishing gear, and whereas Article 20 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 requires innovative gear to comply in full with all existing technical requirements, which makes authorisation lengthy and unpredictable and delays environmental, technological and economic benefits;

R.whereas a large proportion of gear innovation originates with fishers themselves, on the basis of practical knowledge acquired at sea, and whereas this knowledge is insufficiently recognised in EU authorisation procedures;

S.whereas competition for maritime space is intensifying, in particular from offshore wind farms, cables and successive area closures, most often in the productive coastal waters on which fishing depends, and whereas the cumulative effect of these closures on fishing activity is not being systematically assessed;

1.Affirms that fisheries, aquaculture and algae cultivation products constitute strategic resources contributing directly to the health, food security, food and economic sovereignty, and the geopolitical independence of the Member States;

2.Calls for the food sovereignty of the Member States to be recognised as an official EU objective, on the same footing as energy or industrial security, which are complementary;

3.Calls for the revision of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 in order to place objectives taking into account human needs, particularly economic, social, food-related and territorial needs, on an equal footing with environmental objectives;

4.Considers that no management measure should be adopted when it permanently compromises the profitability of a fishing activity without any demonstrated scientific benefit for the state of fish stocks; calls for any restrictive measure based on the precautionary principle to be accompanied by at least two independent scientific studies, an economic impact assessment and a social assessment;

5.Affirms that fishers should be included in decision-making bodies and not merely be limited to non-binding consultations;

6.Calls for a European programme of administrative simplification removing redundant obligations and reducing the regulatory burden placed on fishers;

7.Calls for the abolition of the landing obligation introduced by the 2013 reform of the CFP, considering that it imposes disproportionate constraints on professionals in the sector; considers that this measure generates additional costs, complicates fishers’ activities and does not effectively meet the objectives of resource conservation; calls for the establishment of rules based on more pragmatic and objective criteria, adapted to field realities and the specific characteristics of the different fisheries;

8.Invites the Commission to re-examine the methods for implementing Maximum Sustainable Yield in order to better integrate the socio-economic realities of European fleets;

9.Calls for an independent audit of the economic, social and environmental consequences of the CFP since 2013;

10.Recognises small-scale fisheries as an essential pillar of food sovereignty and local employment;

11.Invites the Member States to give priority to small-scale and family-owned fleets in the allocation of fishing opportunities, in order to support those who are most deeply rooted in coastal territories; underlines that such an approach would help preserve local employment, traditional know-how and a particularly virtuous and sustainable fishing model contributing to the economic vitality of local communities and to respect for resources and ecosystems;

12.Expresses concern about the insufficient attention given by the EU to small-scale fisheries and to the need to ensure their long-term sustainability, economic viability and generational renewal;

13.Calls for the creation of a specific European programme aimed at facilitating young fishers in establishing a business and the transfer of family businesses; emphasises the need to strengthen financial support mechanisms, training opportunities and access to capital in order to remove barriers to entry into the profession; considers that supporting generational renewal is essential to preserving maritime know-how, maintaining economic activity in coastal areas and ensuring the long-term viability of the sector;

14.Calls for the implementation of an ambitious plan for the renewal and modernisation of fishing fleets in order to strengthen the competitiveness and safety of professionals in the sector; encourages the development and adoption of innovative and realistic technological solutions capable of reducing the energy dependence of vessels while preserving their economic profitability; also calls for the launch of an investment programme aimed at modernising fishing ports, fish auction halls, cold-storage infrastructure and processing facilities in order to support the entire sector and strengthen its added value in coastal territories and throughout the economic fabric;

15.Calls for the decoupling of fishing capacity from gross tonnage; considers that additional tonnage devoted to crew safety, accommodation, sanitary and resting facilities, sheltered working areas, or cleaner propulsion and fuel storage systems does not increase fishing effort and must therefore be excluded from the calculation of fishing capacity; calls on the Commission to review, without delay, the indicators used to measure fishing capacity and fishing pressure, and to propose the corresponding amendments so that safety and decent working conditions on board no longer come at the expense of a vessel’s right to fish;

16.Calls for the revision of Articles 13, 17, 18 and 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1139, in particular of the 24-metre length threshold and the 40-year vessel age limit, in order to allow for public support to be provided for the first acquisition of a vessel, for engine renewal or replacement and for vessel improvements requiring additional tonnage, where these are aimed at safety, working and living conditions, energy efficiency or the quality of catches; calls, furthermore, for support not to be made conditional on the use of alternative fuels which are not available in the region concerned;

17.Insists that no fuel taxation be introduced for the EU fishing fleet, that the existing exemption under Council Directive 2003/96/EC of 27 October 2003 restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity(the Energy Taxation Directive) be maintained and that the sector not be brought within the scope of the emissions trading system, for as long as clean propulsion technologies and alternative fuels are not available at commercial scale and at an affordable cost; recalls that EU fisheries account for around 0.01 % of global emissions and that the EU fleet has already reduced its emissions by more than 50 % compared with 1990;

18.Calls on the Commission to establish clear and operational EU definitions of ‘innovative’ and ‘sustainable’ fishing gear, based on measurable criteria such as improved selectivity, reduced bycatch, lower impact on the seabed and reduced fuel consumption;

19.Invites the Member States to make the improvement of seafarers’ working conditions and safety an absolute priority;

20.Invites the Member States and the Commission to intensify the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, particularly in the outermost regions, which are the most affected by this scourge;

21.Invites the Member States to develop aquaculture in the outermost regions through techniques such as aquaponics, which make it possible to combine strong production with respect for the environment;

22.Recalls that the energy policy choice to pursue the large-scale development of offshore wind power has had, and continues to have, harmful and detrimental consequences for fishing activities, particularly small-scale fisheries; underlines that the installation of such infrastructures reduces fishing areas, disrupts marine ecosystems, undermines the economic activity of many coastal professionals and contributes to the privatisation of maritime spaces; considers that the expected benefits of offshore wind power do not compensate for the constraints and impacts borne by fishers, the territories concerned and taxpayers;

23.Notes the failure of successive European strategies for aquaculture development and calls for a profound change of approach; encourages the development of new fish-farming, shellfish-farming and aquaculture sectors adapted to the realities of our territories in order to strengthen our food sovereignty; supports European producers, promotes local know-how and favours high-quality domestic production that is environmentally friendly and creates jobs; invites the Member States to reduce administrative delays and constraints affecting aquaculture projects;

24.Invites the Commission, in the context of the forthcoming revision of the CFP, to explicitly integrate the issue of invasive species, non-native species and protected predators among the factors influencing the sustainable management of fishery resources; notes that the future policy should guarantee a balance between biodiversity conservation objectives, health, food security, the preservation of aquatic resources and ecosystems, and the economic viability of European fisheries and aquaculture activities;

25.Recognises the strategic nature of algae for the food, agricultural, energy, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial sectors;

26.Calls on the Commission to:

(a)prepare, without delay, a comprehensive reform proposal for the CFP;

(b)ensure strict reciprocity of sanitary, environmental and social standards for imported products;

(c)strengthen controls at the EU’s borders as well as improve traceability in labelling;

(d)promote European sourcing in public procurement;

(e)ensure that no trade agreement further weakens European producers;

(f)present a strategy aimed at reducing the EU’s dependence on imports of seafood products;

27.Instructs its President to forward this Resolution to the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.