Common fisheries policy (CFP)

Commission opens public consultation on the common fisheries policy regulation

Commission presents ‘Fishers of the Future’, a study that explores different scenarios for the EU fishing sector towards 2050

The European Commission launched a consultation to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the common fisheries policy (CFP).

The Control Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 enters into force. Most provisions apply after two or four years, to allow time for implementation.

The ‘Fishers of the Future’ study is a key element of the ‘Pact for Fisheries and Oceans’, announced in February 2023, to examine the future role of fishers in society up to 2050.

The package included a  Communication on the Energy Transition of the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture sector; an Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries; a Communication on the common fisheries policy today and tomorrow and a Report on the Common Market Organisation for fishery and aquaculture products.

The Commission proposed a number of changes to the control regulation, as well as targeted amendments to the regulation on illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing(IUU regulation) and to the EFCA founding regulation. 

The CFP is adopted in December 2013, becoming applicable as of 1 January 2014.
It focuses on the management of fisheries (whereas earlier CFP regulations focused only on stock conservation), and it includes aquaculture. Achieving maximum sustainable yield (MSY) by 2015 where possible, and at the latest by 2020, and having healthy fish stocks form the guiding principles of the 2013 CFP. Based on scientific advice, fishing must be adjusted to bring exploitation to the levels that maximise yields within the boundaries of sustainability.

The Commission launches a reflection on further reforming the CFP in 2008, leading to the adoption of a Green Paper on the reform of the CFP the following year. A broad consultation process lead to the adoption of Commission proposals for a new Basic Regulation and a new Common Market Organisation in July 2011.

The 2002 reform allows for some further progress, but does not lead to a sustainable recovery – 88% of stocks are still overfished.

Three years after the 1995 revision, the Commission asks a group of experts to review the policy. The group concludes that a draconian reduction of the fleet is urgently needed considering: 40% overcapacity, a huge disequilibrium between fishing capacity and available resources, despite limited nominal reductions no significant real capacity reduction under the Multi-Annual Guidance Programmes (MAGP)'s.

The 1992 revision and the new basic regulation focused on a “rational and responsible exploitation” of resources, while recognising the interest of the fishing industry to ensure its long-term development and economic and social conditions and the consumers’ interest, “taking into account the biological constraints as well as respect for the marine ecosystem”.

The short-term goals of the 1992 reform were to

• reduce the fishing to levels consistent with sustainability
• reduce the size of fleets to levels consistent with sustainability
• reduce the employment in a controlled manner and provide alternative work in fishing-dependent areas.

The strategy consisted of mandatory reduction of fleet capacity in combination with structural measures to alleviate the social consequences (both scrapping subsidies and other social measures). Next to TACs, the concept of fishing effort was introduced to help attain the balance between the fishing activities and the available resources. Access to specific waters or fisheries became increasingly subject to fishing permits.

The CFP had to adapt first to the withdrawal of Greenland (in 1985) and then the accession of Spain and Portugal (in 1986) and the reunification of Germany (in 1990).  All three events had a serious impact on the size and structure of the European fleet and its catch capacity.

The regulation confirmed the commitment to the EEZ and included measures for conservation and management of the fisheries resources, based on the so-called Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas. It also established a concept of relative stability.

The 1983 policy also introduced a comprehensive structural policy, with measures to manage the fleet capacity on the one hand, while at the same time granting subsidies for the building and modernisation of vessels.

Gradually, both the TACs and the Multi-Annual Guidance Programmes (MAGP) for fleet management were tightened. Technical measures, such as the introduction of areas with limited access and technical requirements such as minimum mesh sizes for fishing nets were introduced to protect juvenile fish.

EU countries retain powers to introduce limited measures, which are non-discriminatory (treating all EU-fishermen equally) and necessary for conservation goals.

With the adoption of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the principle of jurisdiction by the coastal state concerned over the management of marine resources within its EEZ is established.

The Council adopts a specific legislation, the common market organisation, and puts in place a structural policy for fisheries.