Overseas
At the height of negotiations on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034, Europe’s leading fisheries and aquaculture organisations have raised serious concerns about the current proposal on the table. Just days ago, the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), together with the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), Seafood Europe, Europêche and European Association of Fish Producers Organisations (EAPO), sent an urgent letter to the highest EU institutions.
The document was addressed to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and António Costa, President of the European Council. Its objective is clear: to draw attention to what the signatories describe as a serious lack of guaranteed support for fisheries and aquaculture within the EU’s long-term budget.
A 67% Cut and No Dedicated Fund
At the core of the concern lies a drastic reduction in financial resources. The current proposal for the 2028–2034 MFF foresees a cut of more than 67% in funding allocated to fisheries and aquaculture compared to the current programming period.
Even more troubling for stakeholders is the absence of a dedicated fund. Sectoral measures would be integrated into broader national recovery and resilience plans, with only non-binding references to fisheries and aquaculture.
According to the signatory organisations, this structure risks structurally weakening the Common Fisheries Policy by forcing the sector to compete with other national priorities. Such a framework could create significant funding gaps and deepen disparities among Member States, undermining policy uniformity in an area that falls squarely under EU competence.
Not a Cost, but a Strategic Investment
The letter reiterates a key message: a properly funded Common Fisheries Policy is not an expense, but a strategic investment.
Proposed cuts would first and foremost impact social and territorial resilience. Fisheries and aquaculture represent the economic backbone of many coastal and outermost regions, directly supporting employment, income stability and social cohesion.
A second major concern relates to European food security. In an increasingly unstable global environment, fishers and aquaculture producers ensure the supply of high-quality, low-carbon protein across the European Union. Weakening these value chains, the organisations warn, would increase the EU’s vulnerability in terms of food autonomy and reliance on imports.
The third critical dimension concerns the sector’s future. Adequate and predictable funding is considered essential to support investments in decarbonisation, digitalisation and improved environmental performance—core objectives of EU policy. Without a coherent and stable financial framework, these ambitions risk remaining unattainable.
Call for Concrete Amendments
In light of these considerations, ETF, FEAP, Seafood Europe, Europêche and EAPO are calling for targeted amendments to the proposed Multiannual Financial Framework. Their position aligns with those already expressed by the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee.
In particular, they request the restoration of a minimum allocation that would safeguard at least the current real-term funding level of €6.1 billion, adjusted for inflation. They also call for mandatory funding guarantees within the future MFF, including dedicated resources for the core priorities of the Common Fisheries Policy.
“European fisheries and aquaculture value chains are fully committed to contributing to the Union’s objectives,” the organisations jointly underline, “but this requires a financial framework that matches the regulatory ambition expected of the sector.”
As sectors falling directly under EU competence through the Common Fisheries Policy, fisheries and aquaculture, they conclude, deserve dedicated, adequate and legally guaranteed funding.
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