The report was presented by Javier Garat, Secretary General of Cepesca, as the sole rapporteur

EESC calls for a guaranteed €6.1 billion to implement the Common Fisheries Policy from 2028 to 2034

EUROPEAN UNION
Thursday, January 22, 2026, 05:10 (GMT + 9)

The Plenary of the European Economic and Social Committee approves by a large majority an opinion demanding a dedicated budget for fisheries and greater legal certainty for maritime professionals

The Plenary of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has today approved by a large majority (240 votes in favour, 2 against and 8 abstentions) an opinion urging EU institutions to secure a minimum and mandatory allocation of €6.1 billion for the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) during the 2028–2034 period. This amount contrasts sharply with the €2 billion initially proposed by the European Commission.

The opinion was drafted by Javier Garat, Secretary General of Cepesca, acting as sole rapporteur, with Daniel Voces, Managing Director of Europêche, serving as adviser. According to the EESC, this figure—equivalent to the budget under the current 2021–2027 financial framework—is essential to safeguard one of the few exclusive competences of the European Union (EU) and to prevent the fisheries sector from having to compete financially with other interests within the future National and Regional Partnership Fund.

The adopted text warns that fisheries, as an exclusive EU competence, must have a dedicated budgetary chapter, separate from agriculture, providing stability and legal certainty for maritime professionals. It also stresses that public support is crucial to enable fishers to invest in new technologies, improve on-board safety, attract younger generations, advance decarbonisation, and maintain competitiveness vis-à-vis third countries.

The opinion also expresses concern that the objectives of the so-called European Ocean Pact, a non-binding strategy, may be taking precedence over the legally binding objectives of the CFP laid down in the EU Treaties. In this regard, the EESC calls on Member States to ensure sufficient investment in key areas such as data collection, control, resource management, and fleet-related measures.

Another key element of the text is the defence of a more flexible definition of small-scale coastal fisheries, aligned with the criteria of the FAO and regional fisheries management organisations, taking into account the wide social and economic diversity of Europe’s regions. The document also highlights the ageing of the EU fishing fleet, with an average age of 31.5 years, and the loss of labour in the sector, concluding that it is essential to promote modernisation and renewal plans to improve energy efficiency, safety, and working conditions, without increasing fishing capacity.

While the EESC welcomes the European Commission’s intention to design a simpler and more flexible financial architecture, it urges Member States to maintain streamlined procedures for small-scale aid and to guarantee a level playing field across regions and fleet segments. It also calls for harmonised criteria for applying the “do no significant harm” principle, so that it does not become an obstacle to fleet modernisation.

Legal certainty for maritime professionals

A further key point of the opinion is the need to strengthen legal certainty for beneficiaries. The EESC opposes the requirement to recover subsidies several years after they have been granted in cases of serious infringements, arguing that this practice breaches the principle of non bis in idem, creates legal uncertainty, and leads to the underutilisation of funds. It also supports aligning new aid with the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and calls for maintaining the spirit of the current EMFAF, whereby anything not expressly prohibited should be considered permitted.

Through these recommendations, the EESC seeks to ensure that the next Multiannual Financial Framework fully recognises the strategic value of European fisheries for food sovereignty, coastal community cohesion, and the transition towards a sustainable production model.

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