What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the fisheries management approaches for safeguarding sensitive species, tackling invasive species and benefiting local economies

(2025/2011(INI))

The European Parliament,

Changed:– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Union (TFEU), and in particular Article 43 thereof,

Changed:– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the commonCommon fisheriesFisheries policyPolicy, (CFP),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 Regulation),

Changed:– having regard to Council Regulation (EC)(EU) No 1224/20091143/2014 of 20the NovemberEuropean 2009Parliament establishingand aof Communitythe controlCouncil systemof for22 ensuringOctober compliance2014 withon the rulesprevention and management of the commonintroduction fisheriesand policy,spread of invasive alien species (IAS Regulation),

Changed:– having regard to Regulation (EU)(EC) No 1143/20141007/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2216 OctoberSeptember 20142009 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien speciestrade (thein IASseal Regulation),products,

Added:– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008 and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006 (Fisheries Control Regulation),

Added:– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006, (EC) No 1224/2009 and Regulations (EU) No 1380/2013, (EU) 2016/1139, (EU) 2018/973, (EU) 2019/472 and (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 894/97, (EC) No 850/98, (EC) No 2549/2000, (EC) No 254/2002, (EC) No 812/2004 and (EC) No 2187/2005,

Added:– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 November 2023 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, and amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006 and (EC) No 1005/2008 and Regulations (EU) 2016/1139, (EU) 2017/2403 and (EU) 2019/473 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards fisheries control,

Added:– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2024 on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869,

Added:– having regard to Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (Habitats Directive),

Added:– 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),

Added:– 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 (Birds Directive),

Added:– having regard to its resolution of 9 June 2021 on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing nature back into our lives,

Added:– having regard to its resolution of 11 May 2023 entitled ‘Towards a strong and sustainable EU algae sector’,

Added:– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on the state of play in the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and future perspectives,

Added:– having regard to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), in particular SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger and SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities,

Added:– having regard to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,

– having regard to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed:– having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A10-0000/2025),(A10-0018/2026),

Change 1

Changed:A. whereas the EU has long recognised the importance of sustainable fisheries and ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management approaches in preserving marine biodiversity, including protecting sensitive species, supporting local economies and ensuring food security;security and sustainable food systems;

Change 2

Removed:B. whereas invasive alien species (IAS) are one of the drivers of biodiversity loss, have negative impacts on fisheries and aquaculture, and ecosystem functions, and can be detrimental to human health and biosecurity;

Added:B. whereas the EU has implemented several regulatory frameworks for the recovery and protection of vulnerable marine species;

Change 3

Changed:C. whereas the EU has adopted severalintegrates measuressensitive tospecies mapprotection and counteractrecovery theinto spreadother oflegal IAS,frameworks, notablysuch as the IASrecently revised Fisheries Control Regulation, establishingensuring a listcomprehensive ofapproach speciesto the collection of Uniondata concernto andbe enforcingused controlin measures;the conservation of sensitive species;

Change 4

Removed:D. whereas the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN) currently monitors 12 423 alien species across various environments, of which 1 440 (11.6 %) are marine species; whereas, as of 2019, 53 % of Europe’s sea coastlines are under pressure from IAS, with significant regional variation – 33 % in the Baltic Sea, 100 % in the Black Sea, 98 % in the Mediterranean Sea and 25 % in the North-east Atlantic Ocean;

Added:D. whereas the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) publishes the Red List, a comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of species, providing critical information on the delicate situation of marine sensitive species and highlighting the conservation efforts needed;

Added:E. whereas the bycatch of sensitive species represents a major threat to marine biodiversity, as recognised by international and regional conventions and by EU legislation;

Added:F. whereas seabirds are one of the indicators of the health of marine ecosystems, given their role as top predator in the marine food chain;

Added:G. whereas stakeholders are working together in several projects to try out new management methods and gear in order to reduce the level of bycatch and incidental catches of sensitive species during fishing operations;

Added:H. whereas data published by the European Environment Agency in 2025 showed that marine protected areas (MPAs) covered 13.7 % of EU waters;

Added:I. whereas the Commission’s Mission Ocean and Waters service portal reports on a study indicating that, in 2023, fisheries were authorised in over 40 % of MPA areas, restricted in less than 25 % and explicitly prohibited in only 0.4 %;

Added:J. whereas invasive alien species (IAS) are one of the drivers of biodiversity loss, have negative impacts on fisheries, aquaculture and ecosystem functions, and can be detrimental to human health, infrastructure and biosecurity;

Added:K. whereas the aquaculture of non-indigenous species with limited control measures poses a risk, as the species can potentially escape and become invasive, which poses a threat to native wild species and the environment;

Added:L. whereas the EU has adopted several measures to prevent the introduction of IAS and to detect and map their distribution and tackle their spread, including, in particular, the IAS Regulation, which establishes a list of ‘IAS of Union concern’ and enforces control measures;

Added:M. whereas in accordance with the IAS Regulation, IAS are those species whose negative effects are so significant that they require coordinated and uniform intervention at EU level, and it is therefore prohibited to introduce, possess, breed and cultivate, transport or trade them, or to freely transfer or release them into the natural environment;

Added:N. whereas one of the qualitative descriptors for determining good environmental status, as listed in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, is that non-indigenous species introduced by human activities are kept at levels that do not adversely alter ecosystems;

Added:O. whereas proper and timely data collection is of great importance in order to ensure that IAS are detected and their distribution mapped, as well as to establish and implement measures to counter the spread of these species in the most targeted and effective way possible;

Added:P. whereas different activities, such as maritime transport or tourism, are considered important vectors of the spread of IAS, specifically depending on the levels of mitigation measures and vigilance applied;

Added:Q. whereas the EU biodiversity strategy committed to managing established IAS and reducing the number of Red List species they threaten by 50 % by 2030;

Added:R. whereas the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN) currently monitors 12 423 alien species across various environments, of which 1 440 (11.6 %) are marine species; whereas as of 2019, 53 % of Europe’s sea coastlines are under pressure from IAS, with significant regional variation – 33 % of the coastlines of the Baltic Sea, 100 % of the Black Sea, 98 % of the Mediterranean Sea and 25 % of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean;

S. whereas climate change, especially ocean warming, and the increased movement of goods and people are key vectors for the introduction of IAS and can intensify their impact on sensitive species, ecosystems and, consequently, fishing activities;

Change 5

Removed:F. whereas tackling IAS also requires strong international action; whereas the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recognises IAS as a cross-cutting issue, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) aims to reduce the introduction and establishment of IAS by at least 50 % by 2030;

Added:T. whereas the rampant spread of IAS causes substantial harm to fisheries and aquaculture, both in the short and long term, including damage to fishing gear or aquaculture infrastructure, reduced catches, a decrease in natural recruitment and productivity, and disruptions to ecosystems, all of which threaten the ecological balance and economic viability of fishing communities;

Added:U. whereas IAS, including alien predator species populations, threaten not only the ecological balance but also the social and economic viability of coastal fishing communities, in particular fisheries and small and medium-sized aquaculture enterprises;

Added:V. whereas taking an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management and to planning and spatial management in aquaculture can improve the resilience of both sectors and their capacity to adapt, particularly at local level;

Added:W. whereas the EU outermost regions, as recognised by Article 349 TFEU, face unique challenges and opportunities in the context of fisheries management, the conservation of sensitive species and the prevention of invasive species; whereas the indicators used to measure the balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities need to be tailored to local circumstances, taking account of their geographical remoteness, the richness and uniqueness of their biodiversity, their social and economic specificities, and the critical role of the local fishing sector in ensuring food security and supporting the economy of these regions;

Added:X. whereas tackling IAS also requires strong international action; whereas the Convention on Biological Diversity recognises IAS as a cross-cutting issue, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to reduce the introduction and establishment of IAS by at least 50 % by 2030;

Added:Y. whereas environmental protection efforts must be accompanied by measures that strengthen the competitiveness of the European fishing fleet, ensure the economic viability of the sector and ensure generational renewal in coastal communities;

Added:Z. whereas the spread of invasive species and an increase in predator populations in some regions have impacts on the ecosystem and on fishing and aquaculture sectors, with small-scale coastal operations being particularly vulnerable;

Added:AA. whereas Eurostat maintains a comprehensive database of long-term data on fisheries catches, providing valuable insights that can inform the development of effective fisheries management strategies and the assessment of sensitive species and can contribute to early warning systems for alien species;

Added:AB. whereas instruments such as other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) may also contribute to conservation and management efforts;

Added:AC. whereas there are no direct EU standards on ballast water; whereas rules on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of IAS recognise the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments as one of the possible measures for managing invasive species of concern;

Sensitive species: ocean resilience indicators

Change 6

Removed:1. Highlights the unique role played by sensitive species as indicators of the status of marine ecosystems, and the environmental, economic and social benefits stemming from their protection and conservation;

Added:1. Underlines the importance of ensuring healthy marine ecosystems, habitats and species in the EU;

Removed:2. Urges the Commission and the Member States to promote fisheries management approaches that prioritise the conservation of sensitive species, including by duly implementing the EU’s goals regarding marine protected areas and reinforcing the protection of critical habitats;

Added:2. Highlights the unique role played by sensitive species in marine ecosystems and the environmental, economic and social benefits stemming from their management, conservation and protection;