Where the law stands, Dossier 2025/0106(COD)
Implementation into Union law of measures adopted by several Regional Fisheries Management Organisations
Ordinary legislative procedure (COD): Parliament and the Council decide together as equals. · First reading
A proposed EU law. Parliament and the Council must agree on the same text: Parliament adopts its position, then negotiates with the Council.
Where it stands
Plenary vote
Parliament approved the text agreed with the Council on 15 September 2026. The Council must now adopt it formally before it is published as law.
- Referred to committee(done) 16 June 2025
- Committee work(done) Report adopted 25 February 2026
- Tabled for plenary(done) 3 March 2026
- Negotiations with the Council(done) Deal approved in committee 6 May 2026
- Plenary vote(done) Adopted 15 September 2026
- Published as law(to come)
Decided in plenary
15 September 2026 · decision 5
Agriculture, food & fisheries, New EU law
Implementation into Union law of measures adopted by regional fisheries management organisations
Passed 559 for · 48 against · 62 abstained by an overwhelming majority
AI summary:The Commission proposed a regulation to update several EU laws that apply conservation, management and control measures in the convention areas of six regional fisheries management organisations, and to bring rules agreed multilaterally between 2018 and 2024 into EU law.
What changed
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary
AI summary:Adds new prohibitions and reporting duties, including a ban on catching cetaceans by longline and purse seine vessels, a ban on fishing in silky shark pupping areas, and rules on bluefin tuna margins of error. Changes reporting and notification duties for member states and the Commission on inspection vessels, vulnerable marine ecosystems, instrumented buoys and DFAD marking. Adds recitals on food sovereignty, socio-economic impact, strict transposition and delegated acts, and requires the Commission to engage with Parliament and the Council and assess the transposition process every three years. Extends the one-specimen retention limit for South Atlantic shortfin mako to smaller vessels, changes the time format to 23:59, adds a definition of electronic monitoring, and drops a sentence from the explanatory statement. The other changes are formal or wording: corrected citations, cross-references, punctuation and rephrased provisions.
Who works on it
- Lead committee
- Fisheries
- The MEP who drafts the report and negotiates it on behalf of the committee.
- Thomas Bajada (S&D)
- An MEP who follows a report on behalf of their own group when another group holds the rapporteur.
- Željana Zovko (EPP), Séverine Werbrouck (Patriots), Stephen Nikola Bartulica (ECR), Emma Wiesner (Renew), Isabella Lövin (Greens)
- Committees giving an opinion
- Environment, Climate and Food Safety
The text, version by version
Newest first.
Adopted by Parliament· 15 Sept 2026
AI summary:Parliament's position at first reading amends seven EU fisheries regulations to bring in measures adopted by six regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs).
Tabled for plenary· 3 Mar 2026
AI summary:Parliament's amended version of the Commission proposal updates seven EU regulations transposing conservation, management and control measures agreed in six regional fisheries management organisations. It adds new rules on whale sharks, mobulid rays, sharks, cetaceans, observers, transhipment, gillnets, fishing gear, data protection and delegated powers.
Committee draft· 13 Nov 2025
AI summary:This is the rapporteur's draft report on a Commission proposal to amend seven EU regulations transposing rules of six regional fisheries management organisations. It amends the proposal to add missing RFMO recommendations adopted up to 2024, tighten shark, cetacean and seabird protection, and update data protection and reporting rules.
Timeline
Newest first.
Plenary stage 2 steps
15 September 2026
Plenary vote
Sitting of 15 Sept 2026 Adopted text TA10-0280/2026Report A10-0039/2026
9 September – 11 September 2026
292 amendments tabled for the plenary vote
Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.
Negotiations with the Council 2 steps
6 May 2026
Committee approved the deal reached with the Council
The provisional agreement from the trilogues goes to the whole Parliament for a vote.
11 March 2026
Plenary endorsed the mandate to negotiate with the Council
Parliament’s negotiators can now seek a compromise text with the Council (in “trilogues”).
Plenary stage 1 step
3 March 2026
Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
Committee stage 4 steps
25 February 2026
Committee vote: report adopted
PECH (Fisheries) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
11 December 2025
Amendments tabled in committee
Members of PECH (Fisheries) proposed changes to the draft.
13 November 2025
Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in PECH (Fisheries). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
16 June 2025
Referred to the PECH (Fisheries) committee
The lead committee prepares the report; ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety) gives an opinion.
Official record: Legislative Observatory, 2025/0106(COD)