National fisheries profiles

Overview

National fisheries profiles (NFPs)  present data on the history and specific national contexts of fisheries. These profiles:

• analyse social, cultural, economic, institutional, and legal aspects, as well as trends and changes in the seafood sector
• provide a comprehensive overview of the social context of the fisheries sector in all EU countries
• are key tools for understanding fisheries and allow comparisons with other EU countries and sea basins
• give context for the interpretation of social and economic indicators (reported by EU countries under the Annual Economic Report (AER) and Annual Social Report (ASOR) – to be published in spring 2026).  

The NFPs are written and reviewed by national experts and will be updated periodically.  

As of now, 17 National Fisheries Profiles are available, with more to come. Profiles are available in English and versions in national languages will be made available by the end of 2026.

How the profiles are produced

The National Fisheries Profiles are developed by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), specifically the Expert Working Group (EWG) on Social Data in Fisheries.

The development of the NFPs follows a structured and transparent process:

1. Commissioning of experts and production of reports
   The European Commission selects independent national experts to draft the profiles, following a detailed template from the STECF (see table 2.3).
2. Quality check by STECF expert working group on social data
3. Peer review by national experts
   Where possible, draft profiles undergo peer review by a second national expert with social science expertise. Occasionally, finding a second expert in this niche is challenging.
4. Final editing
   After peer review, profiles are edited.
5. Publication
   Profiles are published to ensure public access, promote transparency, and support evidence-based policymaking and stakeholder dialogue.