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Oceans and fisheries

Common fisheries policy (CFP)

The CFP is a set of rules for sustainably managing European fishing fleets and conserving fish stocks.

Overview

Originally a part of the common agricultural policy (CAP), the common fisheries policy (CFP) aimed to

  • increase productivity
  • stabilise markets
  • provide a source of healthy food 
  • ensure reasonable prices for consumers

Over time, the CFP evolved into a separate policy with its own legislation and structural framework, including the common market organisation introduced in 1970.

As more countries joined the EU with significant fisheries resources and fleets, the policy needed to address issues like resource conservation and international relations, especially after the establishment of exclusive economic zones (EEZ).

    2023 fisheries policy package

    In February 2023 the European Commission presented a package of measures to improve the sustainability and resilience of the EU's fisheries and aquaculture sector. It includes four elements:

    1. Communication on the functioning of the common fisheries policy

    The communication on ‘The common fisheries policy today and tomorrow' assesses the functioning of the common fisheries policy, 10 years after the last reform in 2013.

    2. Protecting marine ecosystems

    The EU Action Plan: Protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries is part of the Commission's efforts to achieve a more consistent implementation of the EU's environmental policy and the common fisheries policy with its three sustainability pillars – environmental, economic and social.

    3. Energy transition in the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector

    The Commission is proposing to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and aim towards climate neutral fisheries and aquaculture sector, in line with one of the ambitions of the European Green Deal to reach climate neutrality in the EU by 2050. It is proposing measures to support the sector in accelerating its energy transition, by improving fuel efficiency and switching to renewable, low-carbon power sources.

    4. Common market organisation

    The Commission takes stock of the implementation of the reformed market policy.

    The goals of the measures are to encourage cleaner energy use, decrease reliance on fossil fuels, and lessen the sector's impact on marine ecosystems. These actions will be implemented slowly to assist the industry in adjusting. A 'Pact for Fisheries and Oceans' will help enforce the common fisheries policy with the help of Member States and stakeholders. The proposals also aim to make the industry more appealing to younger workers.

    2013 CFP reform

    The latest reform from 2013 is based on three main pillars

    The new CFP is meant to ensure that the activities of the fishing and aquaculture sectors are environmentally sustainable in the long term and are managed in a way that is consistent with the objectives of achieving economic, social and employment benefits. The most important points are

    Law

    The legal basis for the common fisheries policy is established in articles 38-43 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

    Directory of legislation in force

    EU's law-making process explained

    Timeline

    1. 2024
      January

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

    2. 2023
      October 2023

      The foresight project on ‘Fishers of the Future’ was launched. 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.

    3. 2018
      2018

      The Commission's proposal to revise the fisheries control system is adopted on 30 May 2018.

      The Commission decides to propose 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. 

    4. 2013
      2013

      The current 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.

    5. 2008
      2008

      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.

    6. 2002
      2002

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

    7. 1995
      1995

      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.

    8. 1992
      1992

      The 1992 revision and the new basic regulation now focuses 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 are 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 consists 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 is 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.

    9. 1985-1990
      1985-1990

      The CFP has 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 have a serious impact on the size and structure of the European fleet and its catch capacity.

    10. 1983
      1983

      The Council adopts the first basic regulation of the CFP. The regulation confirms the commitment to the EEZ and includes measures for conservation and management of the fisheries resources, based on the so-called Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas. It also establishes a concept of relative stability.

      The 1983 policy also introduces 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 are tightened. Technical measures, such as the introduction of areas with limited access and technical requirements such as minimum mesh sizes for fishing nets are introduced to protect juvenile fish.

    11. 1979
      1979

      The power to adopt conservation measures passes from individual EU countries to the EC.

      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.

    12. 1970
      1970

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

    Publications

    Possibilities and examples for energy transition of fishing and aquaculture sectors

    21 FEBRUARY 2023
    Actions for sustainable and resilient fisheries, aquaculture and marine ecosystems
    English
    (1.05 MB - PDF)
    Download
    10 FEBRUARY 2021
    The new common fisheries policy: sustainability in depth
    English
    (428.79 KB - PDF)
    Download
    3 MARCH 2021
    The international dimension of the EU common fisheries policy
    English
    (116.48 KB - PDF)
    Download
    10 FEBRUARY 2021
    The European Maritime And Fisheries Fund 2014-2020
    English
    (929.85 KB - PDF)
    Download
    10 FEBRUARY 2021
    EU: Sustainable Tools for the World's Largest Seafood Market
    English
    (426.29 KB - PDF)
    Download
    • News announcement

    Euronews OCEAN Season 6, Episode 3 – Protecting deep sea life

    So far, only 1% of the high seas are under some form of protection — far from the globally agreed objective to protect 30% of oceans and seas by 2030. A year after the finalisation of the High Seas Agreement at the United Nations, we meet with researchers

    • News announcement

    Fishers of the Future: asking EU fishers

    Over the last 4 months, a team of national researchers led by Tetra Tech and partners, a consortium contracted by the European Commission, have consulted about 200 fishers in the EU coastal member states in their local languages to define who they are, how they live, and what drives them.

    Media