Overseas
The European Parliament has approved a regulation marking a decisive step in the fight against food waste, an issue that also directly affects the seafood sector. With almost 60 million tonnes of food waste generated every year in the EU, a binding approach has become unavoidable.
The law introduces clear targets: a 10% reduction in waste at the production and processing stage, and a 30% per capita reduction across retail, food service and households by 2030, measured against the 2021–2023 average baseline.
For the seafood industry, often challenged by perishability and complex logistics, the regulation represents a structural shift. Meeting the targets requires investment in technology, from cold chain optimisation to advanced packaging solutions, as well as revisiting distribution practices and relationships with large-scale retail.
The Parliament also underlines the need to donate unsold but safe food, strengthening local redistribution networks and coordination with charities — essential to reduce economic and nutritional losses, especially in fresh seafood.
The regulation, already approved by the Council and soon to be published in the EU Official Journal, will give Member States 20 months to transpose the rules into national law.
The fight against food waste is no longer aspirational but a binding framework that could reshape market dynamics and consumption behaviours. For seafood, the challenge is to turn obligation into opportunity — leveraging sustainability, efficiency and social responsibility as competitive assets.
Subscribe to receive the most important seafood industry news every week.
