What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

7 unchanged paragraphs

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European fisheries and aquaculture statistics and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1921/2006, (EC) No 762/2008, (EC) No 216/2009, (EC) No 217/2009 and (EC) No 218/2009

(COM(2025)0435 – C100184/2025 – 2025/0246(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2025)0435),

– having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 338(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C100184/2025),

– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Removed:– having regard to the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets,

– having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed:– having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A100000/2026),(A10-0135/2026),

1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2. Approves its statement annexed to this resolution;

Change 1

Removed:Recital 2: (2) European fisheries and aquaculture statistics should be designed to support evidence-based decision-making and to monitor progress towards Union strategic objectives, such as the European Green Deal2 and the European Ocean Pact.

Added:Recital 1: (1) Reliable, comprehensive, and timely European statistics are essential for designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating Union policies and legislation related to fisheries and aquaculture, particularly under the scope of the common fisheries policy (‘CFP’)1 and safeguard the Union fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Those statistics also help to assess the impact and contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to business development, food security, water quality, sensitive species, habitats and species recovery, climate change, bioeconomy and public health, as well as to assess the market functioning and achievement of the three pillars of sustainability as highlighted in the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Removed:Recital 3: (3) European fisheries and aquaculture statistics are currently collected on the basis of five legal acts that do not provide full consistency across the statistical domains. A common legal framework is needed to ensure consistency, streamline statistical processes and enable a more holistic approach, so as to reduce unnecessary pressure on workers, avoid fragmented reporting obligations and improve legal certainty for those employed in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

Added:Recital 2: (2) European fisheries and aquaculture statistics should be designed to support practical evidence-based decision-making and to monitor progress towards Union strategic objectives, such as the European Green Deal2 and the European Ocean Pact2a. Fisheries and aquaculture statistics are an important tool for safeguarding the economic viability, livelihoods, food security, stability, predictability and competitiveness of Union fishers and aquaculture producers, as well as coastal communities, when taking due account of social, regional, and sea-basin specificities. / 2a Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “The European Ocean Pact” (COM/2025/281 final)

Removed:Recital 4: (4) There is a growing need for more detailed and timely European statistics to support implementing EU policies, legislation3 , as well as various Commission initiatives, including the action plans for organic production4 , sustainable aquaculture5 ,6 , a sustainable blue economy7 , algae sector development8 , energy transition in fisheries and aquaculture9 , and marine ecosystem protection10 , provided that any new data requirements are strictly necessary, proportionate, and do not result in additional workload or indirect costs for workers, small operators or local communities.

Added:Recital 3: (3) European fisheries and aquaculture statistics are currently collected on the basis of five legal acts that do not provide full consistency across the statistical domains. A common legal framework is needed to ensure consistency, streamline statistical processes and enable a more holistic approach. That new legal framework should also seek to reduce unnecessary administrative burden or pressure on workers, to avoid fragmented reporting obligations and improve legal certainty for those employed in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, as well as to achieve financial savings in the Member States.

Change 2

Changed:Recital 4 a (new): (4a) There is an increasing need for regular, systematic and harmonised collection of socio-economic data for statistical purposes in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, in order to support robust evidence-based policymaking, effective monitoring, and comprehensive evaluation.evaluation, and to enable a genuine assessment of the situation in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Change 3

Removed:Recital 9: (9) The coherence, comparability and interoperability of data, as well as uniform reporting formats, are essential for the efficiency of the data collection and the quality of the European fisheries and aquaculture statistics, and for ensuring that workers and citizens can rely on clear, comparable and trustworthy public information.

Added:Recital 4 b (new): (4b) This Regulation should improve data collection and improve coordination among the various administrative sources responsible for carrying out statistical work. It should also ensure that any new data requirements are strictly necessary and proportionate, and do not impose undue administrative burden or indirect costs, particularly on workers or operators, such as small-scale fishers and aquaculture producers, or local communities, especially in the outermost regions.

Removed:Recital 10: (10) This Regulation should align its data requests, definitions, methodologies, and reporting formats with those of the FAO and the OECD to enhance coherence, comparability and interoperability of the data, and to reduce the administrative burden.

Added:Recital 4 c (new): (4c) Fisheries and aquaculture statistics should also enable the assessment of interactions between fisheries and aquaculture activities and marine ecosystems. Integrating environmental parameters into this Regulation will support the knowledge on the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach and improve coherence between the CFP legal framework and Union environmental legislation, including Directive 2008/56/EC establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy.

Removed:Recital 12: (12) Statistics on organic aquaculture production are essential to monitor the progress of the EU action plan for organic production. To ensure coherence and comparability, administrative data from Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council17 should be used to the maximum extent possible, so as to avoid duplicative data requests and additional administrative burdens.

Added:Recital 5: (5) The Resolutions from the Parliament also highlighted the importance for European statistics on fisheries and aquaculture12, including the need for more and better data about recreational fisheries12a . / (deleted) / 12a European Parliament resolution of 3 May 2022 toward a sustainable blue economy in the EU: the role of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors (2021/2188(INI)).

Removed:Recital 14: (14) To meet emerging information demands, ad hoc data on fisheries and aquaculture can be collected. Such an additional data request should be duly substantiated and should not impose a disproportionate burden on respondents and national authorities, nor result in increased workload, unpaid labour or indirect costs for workers and small-scale operators.

Added:Recital 9: (9) The coherence of data and calculation methods, together with the comparability and interoperability of data, as well as uniform reporting formats, are essential for the efficiency of the data collection and the quality of the European fisheries and aquaculture statistics, and for ensuring that workers and citizens can rely on clear, comparable and trustworthy public information. The continuation of the existing data time series is essential for the comparability of data before and after the adoption of the new framework for European fisheries and aquaculture statistics. Statistics should also consider the diversity of needs among end users, which may differ depending on their mandates and objectives.

Added:Recital 10: (10) This Regulation should align its data requests, definitions, methodologies, and reporting formats with those of the FAO and the OECD to enhance coherence, comparability and interoperability of the data, and to reduce the administrative burden. Access to those data should be ensured for other key stakeholders, in particular the STECF, Regional Coordination Groups (pursuant to Regulation (EU) 1004/2017 on the data collection framework) or other regional organisations such as ICES, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) or Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs), and the academic community.

Added:Recital 11: (11) European aquaculture statistics should be based on a clear definition of ‘aquaculture establishments’ that: (i) further distinguishes them from statistics under Union Animal Health Law16 ; (ii) takes the unique characteristics of aquaculture (including the production of plants, algae and cyanobacteria) and the coexistence of various production lines into account; and (iii) incorporates relevant socio-economic and environmental parameters associated with aquaculture activities, including energy and water consumption, interactions with marine and freshwater ecosystems, pressures on habitats and biodiversity, water quality conditions and the environmental carrying capacity of production areas, in line with the ecosystem-based approach to aquaculture management and Union environmental legislation.

Added:Recital 11 a (new): (11a) The Commission is set to propose voluntary targets for the growth of algae production in the Union1a. Basic statistics on algae production are essential in order to monitor the progress of the production and valorisation of the algae bioeconomy. / 1a from the European Ocean Pact (COM/2025/281 final): ´The Commission will propose to scale up European algae production, including through the new Bioeconomy Strategy to be adopted by the end of 2025, the launch of a Blue Bioeconomy Innovation initiative by 2027 and setting voluntary targets for the growth of algae production in the EU.´´

Added:Recital 12: (12) Statistics on organic aquaculture production are essential to monitor the progress of the EU action plan for organic production. To ensure coherence and comparability, administrative data from Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council17 should be used to the maximum extent possible, so as to avoid duplicating data requests and additional administrative burdens.

Added:Recital 14: (14) To meet emerging information demands, ad hoc data on fisheries and aquaculture can be collected. Such an additional data request should be duly substantiated and should not impose a disproportionate financial and administrative burden on respondents and regional authorities, Outermost Regions and national authorities, nor result in increased workload, unpaid labour or indirect costs for workers and small-scale operators.

Recital 17: (17) To avoid multiple reporting by Member States, statistics on catches and Union fishing fleet should be produced by the Commission (Eurostat) from EU-level administrative data collected under Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/200920 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/218)21 , as far as possible, thereby limiting repeated data requests.

Change 4

Changed:Recital 18: (18) To make producing statistics more efficient, Member States should be allowed to use various data sources and methods, including administrative sources, surveys, imputation, estimation, and modelling. Digital solutions, including existing remote electronic monitoring (REM) systems, monitoring tools22 and remote sensors should also be promoted, while ensuring the quality, accuracy, timeliness and comparability of the statistics.

Change 5

Added:Recital 21: (21) Statistics and quality reports compiled under this Regulation should be disseminated by the Commission (Eurostat) in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 223/2009. The Commission (Eurostat) should ensure the consistency, homogeneity and quality of European statistics published. As the data are often complex, they should be accompanied by clear explanations on how representative those statistics and reports are.

Recital 22: (22) The European Statistical System Committee (‘ESSC’) has endorsed the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (‘SIMS’)23 as the European statistical system (ESS) standard for quality reporting, thereby contributing to uniform standards and harmonised methods, while supporting transparency and accountability.

Change 6

Removed:Recital 30: (30) To support the implementation of this Regulation, both Member States and the Union should be required to provide funding. Provision should therefore be made for a financial contribution from the Union in the form of grants, as well as for the possibility of providing technical, digital, and logistical support to the Member States, in particular in remote, island, and outermost regions of the Union.

Added:Recital 27: (27) To address emerging data needs in fisheries and aquaculture, and changing policy priorities, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission in respect of amending the detailed topics listed in this Regulation and in respect of specifying data requirements for ad hoc data collections. When adopting delegated acts, the Commission should seek to limit costs and administrative burdens. It is of particular importance that the Commission carries out appropriate consultations during preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations are conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making of 13 April 201626. In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council should receive all documents at the same time as the Member States’ experts, and their experts should systematically have access to the meetings of the Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts.

Removed:Article 1 – paragraph 1: 1. This Regulation sets up an integrated framework for European statistics related to the extraction and production of aquatic biological resources by fishing and aquaculture activities and their placing on the market, and to the Union catching fleet and aquaculture establishments, including socio-economic statistics.

Added:Recital 27 a (new): (27a) In accordance with Directive (EU) 2024/1203, Member States should transmit to the Commission relevant statistical data on environmental crimes listed in Article 3 of that Directive. Serious infringements of Council Regulations (EC) No 1224/20091a and (EC) No 1005/20081b are however not listed in that Article. This Regulation should therefore provide for the collection of data on infringements of Union fisheries legislation, including those that cause damage to the marine environment, to mirror the provision that exists in Directive (EU) 2024/1203. / 1a Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy / 1b Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

Added:Recital 30: (30) To support the implementation of this Regulation, both Member States and the Union should be required to provide funding. Provision should therefore be made for a financial contribution from the Union, in particular in the form of grants, to provide technical, digital, and logistical support to the Member States, in particular in remote, island, and outermost regions of the Union, to meet their data collection and reporting obligations.

Added:Article 1 – paragraph 1: 1. This Regulation sets up an integrated framework for European statistics related to the extraction and production of aquatic biological resources by fishing activities and aquaculture activities and their placing on the market, and to the Union catching fleet and aquaculture establishments, including socio-economic statistics.

Added:Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point 1 – point c a (new): (ca) anonymised statistical data on the reporting, investigative and judicial stages of criminal offences in relation to unlawful conduct covered by Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 and Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008;

Added:Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point 1 – point c b (new): (cb) anonymised statistical data on the reporting, investigative and judicial stages of criminal offences in relation to unlawful conduct covered by Article 22 of Directive (EU) 2024/1203;

Added:Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point 2 – point b: (b) flows in aquaculture, including data related to hatcheries and nurseries;

Added:Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point 2 – point c a (new): (ca) energy and water consumption in aquaculture establishments;

Added:Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point 2 a (new): (2a) The statistics referred to in paragraph 2 shall include socio-economic data such as gender, age, education or income, and relevant environmental parameters enabling the assessment of interactions between fisheries and aquaculture activities and marine ecosystems. The collection of such information shall, where possible, rely on existing monitoring systems, administrative data sources or environmental reporting frameworks established under Union law while to the greatest extent possible avoiding duplication of collection of data and increasing the administrative burden of fishers and operators.

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part: For the purposes of this Regulation, the definitions set out in Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/20091a and Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/20131b of the European Parliament and of the Council shall apply, unless otherwise provided for in this Regulation. The following definitions shall also apply: / 1a 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. OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, pp. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1224/oj / 1b 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, OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1380/oj

Change 7

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1: deleted / (deleted)

Added:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1: (1) ‘aquaculture’ means the farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Farming implies some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding or protection from predators. Farming also implies individual or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated. For statistical purposes, aquatic organisms which are harvested by an individual or corporate body which has owned them throughout their rearing period contribute to aquaculture, while aquatic organisms which are exploitable by the public as common property resources, with or without appropriate licences, are the harvest of fisheries; / (deleted)

Change 8

Changed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2: (2) ‘Union fishing fleet’ means all Union fishing vessels flying the flag of a Member StateStates and registered in the Union;

Change 9

Added:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new): (3a) ‘CITES species’ means species of wild fauna and flora protected under Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97;

Added:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 b (new): (3b) 'invasive alien species' means invasive alien spices as defined in Article 3, point (2), of Regulation (EU) No 1143/20141a; / 1a Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1997/338/2023-05-20

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5: deleted

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10: (10) ‘commercial fishing’ means commercial exploitation of marine biological resources performed by a catching vessel with a valid fishing licence, or, by a natural or legal person holding a licence to fish without a vessel or registered in an alternative system;

Change 10

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14: (14) ‘aquaculture establishment’ means any administratively delimited or identified premises where aquaculture takes place, with the exception of aquarium and ornamental species production. The same aquaculture establishment may have several farming sites;

Added:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12: deleted

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14 a (new): (14a) ‘aquaculture’ means the farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Farming implies some form of intervention in the rearing process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding or protection from predators. Farming also implies individual or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated. For statistical purposes, aquatic organisms which are harvested by an individual or corporate body which has owned them throughout their rearing period contribute to aquaculture, while aquatic organisms which are exploitable by the public as common property resources, with or without appropriate licences, are the harvest of fisheries.

Added:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14: (14) ‘aquaculture establishment’ means any administratively delimited or identified premises, or an area with boundaries defined by an authorisation, marked by geographical coordinates or by physical demarcation, where aquaculture takes place, with the exception of aquarium and ornamental species production. The same aquaculture company may have several aquaculture establishments;