On the evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy and follow-up

–having regard to its resolution of 21 May 2026 on the multiannual plan for the Baltic Sea and ways forward,

–having regard to its resolution of 7 June 2022 on the implementation of Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation,

–having regard to its resolution of 18 May 2021 on securing the objectives of the landing obligation under Article 15 of the Common Fisheries Policy,

–having regard to its resolution of 16 September 2021 on Fishers for the future: Attracting a new generation of workers to the fishing industry and generating employment in coastal communities,

–having regard to its resolution of 21 January 2021 entitled ‘More fish in the seas? Measures to promote stock recovery above the maximum sustainable yield (MSY), including fish recovery areas and marine protected areas’,

–having regard to 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 21 February 2023 entitled ‘The common fisheries policy today and tomorrow: a Fisheries and Oceans Pact towards sustainable, science-based, innovative and inclusive fisheries management’ (COM(2023)0103);

–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 17 November 2025 for enhanced transparency and good governance in the allocation of fishing opportunities by Member States: A vade mecum on the application of Articles 16 and 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy,

–having regard to European Environment Agency Report 2026/3 of July 2026 entitled ‘Marine Messages III – State, pressures, and choices for the future of Europe’s seas’,

–having regard to the report by Costas Kadis, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, published in September 2025, entitled ‘2025 Annual Progress Report –Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement’,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas according to the European Environment Agency (EEA), marine ecosystems, habitats and species are still not in a good state, and the trajectory of global warming, currently on course for around 2.3-2.5 °C, may push many of them beyond recovery;

B.whereas the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, especially small-scale fisheries and low-carbon and low-trophic aquaculture, make a significant contribution to food systems, employment and social cohesion in coastal and island communities, and to a fair standard of living for the fishing community; whereas fishing activities and aquaculture also present ecological challenges, depending on the fishing gear and techniques used, production methods and fisheries management decisions;

C.whereas according to the EEA, the dominant pressures on Europe’s marine ecosystems are inputs of contaminants, extraction of fish species including by-catch, climate change, seabed loss and disturbance, and inputs of nutrients, highlighting the importance of tackling overfishing and the use of destructive fishing methods as a matter of priority;

D.whereas EU small-scale fishers and small aquaculture producers, in particular those in coastal and island communities, disproportionately face persistent and growing pressures due to the depletion of fish stocks, the increasing impact of climate change on fish stocks and marine ecosystems, a continuing rise in the temperature of Europe’s seas, in particular the Eastern Mediterranean basin, high operational costs, administrative complexity, ageing fleets and an ageing workforce, generational renewal challenges, poor water quality, increasing competition for maritime space, and imports of products that are not required to comply with the same level of sustainability requirements;

E.whereas the economic, social, environmental and geopolitical context in which the common fisheries policy (CFP) operates has evolved considerably; whereas these developments have affected the profitability and social sustainability of parts of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, in particular small-scale operators, and the resilience of coastal and island communities; whereas the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss is having growing consequences for fisheries;

F.whereas the Commission’s evaluation of the CFP emphasises that healthy ecosystems are a prerequisite for sustainable and profitable fisheries, and points to some progress in reducing overfishing and strengthening fisheries management, while recognising the failure to meet the CFP’s target of ending overfishing by 2020, acknowledging that further progress in sustainability gains is still needed and identifying persistent challenges related to implementation, enforcement, stock recovery, socio-economic resilience and food security;

G.whereas the Commission’s evaluation of the CFP concludes that the CFP Basic Regulation remains a very important and relevant tool, and that inefficiencies and gaps identified are often dependent on the full implementation and enforcement of CFP provisions or on detailed provisions and implementation of secondary legislation, and that the fundamental pillars of environmental, economic and social sustainability should not be called into question;

H.whereas the CFP requires the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management to minimise the negative impacts of fishing activities on marine ecosystems; whereas fisheries management should include mixed-species stock assessments and approaches that, based on the best available scientific evidence, take account of the different pressures, including the increasing pace of climate change, affecting fish stocks and marine ecosystems;

I.whereas in several resolutions Parliament has already identified areas where improvements are needed, including better implementation, protection and restoration of marine ecosystems, stronger consideration of social and economic factors, enhanced support for small-scale fisheries, the transparent and equitable allocation of fishing opportunities according to social, environmental and economic criteria, and the promotion of selective fishing practices, as well as the transition towards low-impact fishing;

J.whereas simplification should focus on reducing unnecessary administrative burdens and achieving effective implementation; whereas any legislative follow-up should not lower environmental, social, control or food safety standards;

1.Welcomes the Commission’s evaluation of the CFP; notes its confirmation that the CFP continues to be fit for purpose and that full implementation by the Member States is needed to address the challenges faced and deliver core CFP objectives while ensuring environmental, economic and social sustainability, science-based management, implementation of the ecosystem-based approach, food security, food sovereignty and a fair standard of living for fishing communities, and to address the climate crisis and marine biodiversity loss and their increasing impacts on fishing activities; welcomes the aim of the forthcoming Ocean Act to bring all ocean-related targets together in one legislative act and achieve a healthy and resilient ocean by 2030; considers that it should also include the objective of a dedicated and binding strategy for ensuring thriving small-scale fisheries;

2.Notes that the current CFP framework was adopted in 2013 and that the context in which it operates has changed; regrets that the 2020 target to gradually end overfishing and ensure that all managed fish populations are exploited at maximum sustainable yield levels has not been achieved; considers that this requires ambitious, targeted and timely action, within the existing CFP framework, to improve its implementation, resilience and the long-term viability of the EU’s fisheries, and to restore fish stocks, while ensuring that the environmental, economic and social pillars of sustainability are properly reflected; highlights, in particular, that the EEA has identified an urgent need for coherent, enforceable action to maintain and restore the resilience of Europe’s seas;

3.Stresses that fisheries management decisions must be based on the best available scientific advice and on precautionary and ecosystem-based approaches; points out that the CFP Basic Regulation has substantially strengthened the scientific basis and governance framework for fisheries management, through improved data collection and scientific advice;

4.Calls on the Member States and the Commission to implement the relevant provisions of the Fisheries Control Regulation and facilitate the implementation of the landing obligation to address persistent discarding by strengthening incentives to increase selectivity and reduce unwanted catches, in particular by prioritising selective, low-impact fisheries while recognising the need for workable measures, in particular to reflect the operational realities of small-scale fishers;

5.Expresses concern that the CFP evaluation finds that Member States’ uneven and inconsistent implementation of the CFP is not effectively supporting small-scale fisheries; calls on the Member States and the Commission to provide preferential spatial access to small-scale coastal fisheries within the 0-12 nautical mile zone and to facilitate equitable access to fishing opportunities;

6.Stresses that, according to the CFP evaluation, fleet capacity has declined over time but overcapacity remains an issue; calls on the Commission to examine how the current European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and upcoming multiannual financial framework can accommodate investments serving the objectives of energy efficiency, decarbonisation, fleet modernisation and improving safety and working conditions on board, prioritising support for low-impact small-scale fishers and restoring fish populations and marine ecosystems without increasing the catching capacity of vessels or contributing to overcapacity; calls on the Commission to ensure a better balance between fleet capacity and available fishing opportunities over time, and to conduct energy audits to identify needs and facilitate the energy transition;

7.Calls for an improvement in the accessibility of funding for small-scale operators, in particular the accessibility of pre-financing, earmarked allocation and funding for small-scale fishers;

8.Underlines the need to incentivise investment in and deployment of fishing techniques and practices that reduce unwanted catches, improve gear selectivity and by-catch avoidance, increase energy efficiency, reduce the use of destructive fishing techniques and minimise ecosystem disturbance;

9.Reiterates its strong support for the EU targets of protecting at least 30 % of the EU’s marine areas, and of strictly protecting at least 10 % of the EU’s marine areas by 2030; highlights the risks for the EU of missing those targets; stresses that conservation and spatial management measures should be based on the best available scientific advice and the precautionary approach and should be regularly assessed in terms of their effectiveness, effective management and implementation; regrets that the adoption of many such measures under Article 11 CFP has been blocked by Member States; underlines the importance of duly considering social and economic impacts and promoting inclusive co-management approaches while ensuring the effective achievement of conservation objectives and the protection of marine ecosystems;

10.Calls on the Commission to implement adaptation measures and actions under the CFP and to take more effective measures to address invasive marine species, based on the latest scientific data, both to control these populations and to prevent their entry into EU waters;

11.Calls on the Commission to ensure that the implementation of the revised Fisheries Control Regulation is timely, effective and adequately funded while, where possible, making full use of the opportunities under the new framework to avoid unnecessary administrative burdens, including through phasing in digital tools to ensure effective control, traceability and enforcement;

12.Calls for greater transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain, clearer consumer information with regard to all types of seafood products (including as regards their origin), shorter supply chains, and a level playing field between EU and non-EU producers and between EU and imported products;

13.Stresses the need to support regenerative low-trophic and low-carbon aquaculture, notably emerging sustainable sectors such as seaweed farming, including by improving water quality, reducing unnecessary administrative complexity, improving the coordination and predictability of permitting and licensing procedures, and supporting small-scale producers;

14.Underlines the particular importance of providing targeted administrative support and addressing administrative barriers faced by small-scale fisheries, small-scale aquaculture producers, notably micro- or nano- family-owned businesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises in related sectors, taking account of their limited administrative capacity and the need to support generational renewal;

15.Regrets that the Commission’s evaluation of the CFP does not reflect key barriers to generational renewal, such as challenges with regard to accessing fishing opportunities, training constraints and a lack of incentives, including financial support;

16.Stresses that maritime spatial planning should support CFP implementation, including through the equitable allocation of fishing opportunities and reserved areas dedicated to small-scale low impact inshore fishing within the 12 nautical mile zone, addressing increasing ‘spatial squeeze’, the protection and restoration of essential fish habitats, the reduction of cumulative impacts and pressures, and ending overfishing;

17.Calls on the Commission to accompany the follow-up to the CFP evaluation with a clear roadmap identifying the implementation and enforcement gaps to be addressed, and the measures required to achieve the objectives of the CFP;

18.Considers that simplification should not serve as a justification for undermining existing environmental targets and obligations;

19.Declares its readiness to work swiftly and constructively with the Commission and the Council, and in close dialogue with fishers, aquaculture producers, scientists, social partners, civil society and other relevant stakeholders, to deliver meaningful improvements within the current parliamentary term;

20.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.