Changes between two versions
What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text
From · plenary report· 23 Apr 2026
on the multiannual plan for the Baltic Sea and ways forward
To · adopted text· 21 May 2026
The multiannual plan for the Baltic Sea and ways forward
AI:What changed, in short
Adds calls for a Baltic fisheries recovery fund, differentiated access rules, and action on cormorants and harbour porpoises.81011 Rewrites recitals to broaden pressures on fish stocks beyond fishing and to balance sustainability with socio-economic needs.134 Drops criticism of the Council's 2026 catch limits and a statement on limited scientific data on predator impacts.57 Adds concerns about Russian fishery products and emphasizes generational renewal and socio-economic losses.912 The other changes are formal or wording: a decimal separator and a typo fix.26
10 changes of substance · 1 formal · 1 of wording only
Written by AI from the two texts only · read the changes before relying on it · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem
+7 added · −24 removed · 15 changed paragraphs, packaging included.
Part 1 of 4: MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
Removed:MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
Added:P10_TA(2026)0189
Changed:on theThe multiannual plan for the Baltic Sea and ways forward(2024/2127(INI))forward
Added:Committee on Fisheries
Added:PE778.399
Added:European Parliament resolution of 21 May 2026 on the multiannual plan for the Baltic Sea and ways forward (2024/2127(INI))
9 unchanged paragraphs
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), Articles 4, 43(3) and 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and Article 37 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC (CFP),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2016 establishing a multiannual plan for the stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and the fisheries exploiting those stocks, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2187/2005 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1098/2007 (Baltic MAP Regulation),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2020/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2020 amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 as regards fishing capacity reduction in the Baltic Sea, and Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 as regards permanent cessation of fishing activities for fleets fishing for Eastern Baltic cod, Western Baltic cod and Western Baltic herring,
– having regard to Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive),
– having regard to Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,
– having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2115/77 of 27 September 1977 prohibiting the direct fishing and landing of herring for industrial purposes other than human consumption,
– having regard to Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds,
Changed:– having regard to its resolution of 27 April 2021 on chemical residues in the Baltic Sea, based on Petitions NosNo 1328/2019 and 0406/2020 ,0406/2020,
10 unchanged paragraphs
– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on the EU Action Plan: protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries,
– having regard to its resolution of 4 December 2008 on the adoption of a European Cormorant Management Plan to minimise the increasing impact of cormorants on fish stocks, fishing and aquaculture,
– having regard to its resolution of 14 November 2024 on EU actions against the Russian shadow fleets and ensuring a full enforcement of sanctions against Russia (2024/2885(RSP)),
– having regard to the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030, set out in the Commission communication of 20 May 2020 entitled ‘EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 – Bringing nature back into our lives’ (COM(2020)0380),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 June 2025 entitled ‘The European Ocean Pact’ (COM(2025)0281),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 21 February 2023 entitled ‘EU Action Plan: Protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries’ (COM(2023)0102),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 6 June 2025 entitled ‘Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2026’ (COM(2025)0296),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 29 January 2025 entitled ‘A Competitiveness Compass for the EU’ (COM(2025)0030),
– having regard to the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area of 1992 (the Helsinki Convention), which entered into force on 17 January 2000, and to the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, also known as the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM),
– having regard to the Baltic Sea Action Plan, and to the HELCOM findings on sea-dumped chemical munitions,
Changed:– having regard to the judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU of 11 January 2024 in the case C-330/22 ,C-330/22, Friends of the Irish Environment CLG v Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland,
20 unchanged paragraphs
– having regard to the background analysis requested by Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries entitled ‘The multiannual plan for the Baltic Sea – A change in management needed’, published by its Directorate-General for Cohesion, Agriculture and Social Policies in August 2025,
– having regard to the study of September 2025 by the European Parliamentary Research Service entitled ‘Evaluation of the Baltic Sea Multiannual Plan Regulation – European Implementation Assessment’,
– having regard to the report of 29 September 2025 by the European Environment Agency entitled ‘Europe’s environment and climate: knowledge for resilience, prosperity and sustainability’,
– having regard to the report of 31 October 2023 by HELCOM entitled ‘State of the Baltic Sea 2023 – Third HELCOM holistic assessment 2016-2021’,
– having regard to the commitments of states under the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely SDGs 3, 6 and 14,
– having regard to the report of 26 November 2024 by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) entitled ‘Baltic Sea ecoregion – Ecosystem Overview’, ICES Advice 2024, Section 7.1,
– having regard to the 2022 report by ICES entitled ‘Workshop on ICES reference points (WKREF1)’,
– having regard to the 2022 report by ICES entitled ‘Workshop on ICES reference points (WKREF2)’,
– having regard to the 2023 report by ICES entitled ‘Workshop on guidelines and methods for the design and evaluation of rebuilding plans for category 1-2 stocks (WKREBUILD2)’,
– having regard to the report of November 2025 by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre entitled ‘Scientific Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – The 2025 Annual Economic Report on the EU Fishing Fleet (STECF-25-03 & STECF-25-07)’,
– having regard to the report of September 2019 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change entitled ‘Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate’,
– having regard to the report of September 2025 by the Copernicus Marine Service entitled ‘9th edition of the Copernicus Ocean State Report’,
– having regard to the report of 24 September 2025 by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research entitled ‘Planetary Health Check 2025: A Scientific Assessment of the State of the Planet’,
– having regard to the 2016 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report entitled ‘Options for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EBA) in Coastal Environments: A Guide for environmental managers and planners’,
– having regard to Resolution 1612 (2008) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on chemical munitions buried in the Baltic Sea, and to the accompanying report of 28 April 2008,
– having regard to the joint statement by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and ICES of 18 September 2025 entitled ‘Adaptive science and coordinated governance for cross-sector action towards Baltic Sea recovery’,
– having regard to the report of 28 April 2025 by its Committee on Fisheries entitled ‘Working document on the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 (“Baltic MAP”)’,
– having regard to the Framework for a European Management Plan for the Great Cormorant of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission of April 2025,
– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A10-0121/2026),
Change 1
Changed:A. whereas the EU’s multiannual plan for Baltic Sea fisheries (Baltic MAP Regulation), in a context of increasing environmental pressures on the Baltic Sea ecosystem, has not delivered on its overarching ecological and socio-economic objectives; whereas it has not achieved the restoration and maintenance of populations of harvested specieshelped abovemaintain levelsfishing whichpressure canin produceline thewith maximum sustainable yield (MSY), despite its 2020 legal deadline, and has not(MSY) contributedlevels; sufficientlywhereas, todespite resolvingsignificant particularlyfishing complexeffort stockreductions situationsin suchthe aspast thosefew ofyears, thesome easternfish andstocks westernhave Balticdeteriorated coddue stocks,to nora hascombination itof consistentlypressures supportedbeyond thefishing effectiveactivity, implementationincluding ofeutrophication, theoffshore ecosystem-basedenergy, approachpredator toimpacts, fisheriespollution, management,habitat ordegradation implementedand theclimate-driven precautionaryecosystem approach,changes, resulting in significant socio-economic challengesconsequences for parts of the fisheries sector;
5 unchanged paragraphs
B. whereas in 2023, the ecoregions of the Baltic Sea, Celtic Sea and Greater North Sea reduced the average fishing pressure to below MSY levels, with fishing mortality 54 %, 48 % and 23 % below MSY targets respectively, compared to above-target levels in 2003; whereas the EU Baltic Sea fleets spent 267 000 days in 2022, an 8 % decrease compared to 2021 and the lowest level reached since 2013;
C. whereas Baltic cod stocks remain in an extremely poor condition with no forecasted improvement in the short term, despite targeted fisheries having been closed since 2019; whereas ICES estimates that Baltic cod stocks will continue to develop slowly, showing a downward trend compared to previous years, including for reasons of adverse environmental conditions; whereas cod is still being caught as ‘bycatch’;
D. whereas salmon and trout stocks are not covered by the Baltic MAP Regulation; whereas there are important interlinkages between salmon and trout stocks and herring stocks, especially considering food ecosystems; whereas since 2022 ICES has advised stopping all commercial and recreational salmon catches in the main basin due to the existence of mixed fisheries and the fact that salmon are being caught from multiple river stocks, including threatened stocks;
E. whereas small-scale coastal fisheries represent 92 % of the vessels operating in the Baltic Sea, landing 7 % of total weight but accounting for 22 % of the landed value, thus providing significant economic and social benefits given the above-average value added of this fleet segment; whereas fisheries rely heavily on the availability of a large fish biomass in line with the CFP and sustainably managed fish stocks, which are critical for the economic viability of the sector;
F. whereas the Baltic small-scale coastal fishing fleet has access to smaller fishing quotas compared to larger operators, leading to the marginalisation of the small-scale segments and their fishing businesses;
Changed:G. whereas according to Article 17 CFP ‘when allocating fishing opportunities available to them … Member States shall use transparent and objective criteria including those of an environmental, social and economic nature’;
H. whereas the gross added value for small-scale fishers in the Baltic Sea region has declined drastically since the inception of the Baltic MAP Regulation, according to assessments by the Commission’s Scientific Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), threatening food security and increasing the EU’s dependence on imports; whereas the loss of EU-origin fish supply increases dependence on imports from non-EU countries and weakens market resilience; whereas there has been a continued decline in the number of active fishing vessels in the Baltic Sea;
I. whereas strengthening Baltic coastal communities and supporting local fisheries, in particular small-scale fisheries, are also essential in reducing this dependence and ensuring the economic and social sustainability of the Baltic coastline;
J. whereas regular updates on the catches and gross value added of the recreational fisheries sector, including marine recreational fisheries, are forthcoming in the ongoing implementation of the Fisheries Control Regulation; whereas recreational fisheries have a considerable social and economic value also beyond monetary terms and anglers can contribute to restoration efforts and nature protection; whereas recreational fisheries can have a significant impact on fish resources and Member States should, therefore, ensure that they are conducted in a manner that is compatible with the objectives of the CFP; whereas recreational fishers are also legitimate users of marine biological resources;
Change 2
Changed:K. whereas the most recent EU-wide assessment of the socio-economic value of the marine recreational fisheries (MRF) sector dates back to 2017, and its recommendations have not yet been implemented to fully unlock the potential of this low-impact activity as a recognised component of the EU blue economy strategy; whereas available data indicates that an estimated 8-10 million EU citizens are engaged in the recreational fisheries sector; whereas in the Baltic Sea region, this constitutes a major socio-economic activity, generating an economic contribution of about EUR 1.51,5 billion and supporting the creation of over 14 000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs;
L. whereas the Baltic Sea forms the basis of the livelihood and cultural identity of thousands of families; whereas fishing is part of the centuries-long social, cultural and economic heritage of the region; whereas restrictions on fisheries should be implemented in a way that does not make it impossible to run a local coastal business providing fresh fish to consumers to ensure food security, and avoid the eventual disappearance of fishing-related occupations, and consequently lead to inhabitants leaving coastal areas;
M. whereas the Baltic Sea is affected by multiple human-induced pressures, including global warming, residual pollution, chemical munitions, eutrophication, changing environmental conditions, and long-term degradation, and is especially vulnerable due to its bathymetrically shallow sea basin with genetically unique species adapted to living in brackish water with naturally low salinity and oxygen levels, and its limited water exchange with the North Sea and strong vertical stratification; whereas these particular conditions require management approaches tailored to regional specificities; whereas fish stocks in the Baltic have continued to decline also due to these pressures, including predator imbalances, that have impacted recruitment, while significant fishing effort reductions have taken place in the past few years; whereas the Commission acknowledges the need to address these additional environmental challenges to support recovery and long-term sustainability;