European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)

The EMFF is the fund for the EU's maritime and fisheries policies for 2014-2020.

It is one of the five European Structural and Investment Funds  (ESIF) which complement each other to deliver more jobs, welfare and growth in the EU.

• helps fishers adapt to sustainable fishing
• supports coastal communities in diversifying their economies
• finances projects that create new jobs and improve quality of life along European coasts
• supports sustainable aquaculture developments
• makes it easier for applicants to access financing
• supports the implementation of the maritime policy

It has an overall budget of €6 400 million for the period 2014-2020.

11% is managed by the European Commission to support EU-wide objectives in maritime and coastal affairs.

89% is managed by the Member States by means of operational programmes.

• Each country is allocated a share of the total fund budget, based on the size of its fishing industry.  
• Each country prepares an operational programme, setting out how the funds will be used during the current funding period 2014-20.
• Once the Commission approves this programme, it is up to the national authorities to decide which projects will be funded.
• The national authorities and the Commission are jointly responsible for the implementation of the programme.

The European Commission has delegated to the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) the implementation of part of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) under direct management, representing a budget of €340 million for the programme period 2014-2020. EASME launches and manages calls for proposals and calls for tenders, as well as ad hoc grants and service requests under framework contracts in the areas of fisheries scientific advice, maritime policy and the blue economy.

EMFF calls for proposals serve to implement the EMFF annual work programmes. The work programme is usually adopted at the end of year for the following year and is published on the European Commission website.

Please consult the list below to check which is the national authority in charge of the management and implementation of the EMFF operational programme in your country.

Funding opportunities - maritime affairs and fisheries

Tender opportunities - maritime affairs and fisheries

Funding and tenders portal

Committee and Expert Group on the EMFF

The Open Data Portal for the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds)

Recipients of EU funding

The Common Provisions Regulation

EMFF Regulation

Commission implementing acts (decisions and regulations)

Commission implementing decisions

2014/372/EU: setting out the annual breakdown by Member State of the global resources of the EMFF available in the framework of shared management

2014/464/EU: identifying the priorities of the Union for enforcement and control policy in the framework of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

Commission implementing regulations deriving from the EMFF

763/2014 on information and publicity

771/2014  on OP template, template for transmission of information, compensation to outermost regions.

• Corrigendum published on 3.2.2016
• Corrigendum  to HR linguistic version published on 25.4.2015

772/2014 on intensity of public aid

1242/2014 on the presentation of cumulative data on operations

• Corrigendum to ES, IT, HU, LT and MT linguistic versions published on 18.6.2015

1243/2014 on the information sent by Member States and on data needs and synergies between sources

• Corrigendum to all linguistic versions published on 22.8.2015

Amendment  - Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/788 of 8 May 2017

1362/2014  on amendments to operational programmes and presentation of EMFF annual implementation reports

2020/1027 on the implementation and monitoring of specific measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the fishery and aquaculture sector

Commission implementing regulations deriving from the CPR

184/2014 on electronic data exchange (SFC2014)

215/2014 on the methodology for climate change support

1232/2014 on methodologies for climate change support adapted to the EMFF

821/2014 on programme contributions, financial instruments, communication and system to record and store data

964/2014 on "off-the-shelf" financial instruments

1011/2014  on submission of information to the Commission and  exchange of information between beneficiaries and national authorities

2015/207 on the models for reports, management declaration, audit strategy and opinion, annual control report, cost-benefit analysis

2015/1974 on reporting of irregularities

Commission delegated regulations

Commission delegated regulations deriving from the EMFF

2015/288 on the period of time and the dates for the inadmissibility of operations

2015/2252 on the period of inadmissibility of applications for support from the EMFF

1014/2014  on the common monitoring and evaluation system

• Corrigendum to the annex of the Delegated Act (list of common indicators) - 3/12/2014
• Corrigendum to the annex of the Delegated Act (list of common indicators) - 7/10/2015

1046/2014 on the calculation of additional costs in the compensation plan for outermost regions

2015/531 on eligible costs to improve  health and safety as well as working conditions of fishermen, to protect the marine environment and to increase the energy efficiency and to mitigate climate change

2015/616 adapting references to EMFF in Delegated Regulation (EU) No 480/2014

2015/852 on cases of non-compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy that may lead to interruptions or suspension of EMFF payments

2015/895 on transitional provisions

2015/1930 on financial corrections

Commission delegated regulations deriving from the CPR

240/2014 on the code of conduct of the European Structural and Investment Funds

480/2014 on provisions supplementing CPR parts two, three and four

2015/1970 supplementing the CPR on reporting of irregularities concerning the ESIF

Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of the Common Monitoring and Evaluation System for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

European Structural and Investment Funds: guidance for beneficiaries (Regional policy website)

A European Green Deal

EMFF operational programmes and fact sheets

Annual work programme for public contracts and grants

ESI funds Open Data

EU funding recipients database Financial Transparency System

Recipients of EU funding

Funding 2021-2027

European Structural and Investment Funds, Common Provisions Regulation: legal texts (Regional policy website)