On the proposal for a regulation establishing the conditions for the implementation of the Union support to the Common Fisheries Policy, to the European Ocean Pact and of the Union’s maritime and aquaculture policy as part of the National and Regional Partnership Fund set out in Regulation (EU) […] [NRP Fund] for the period from 2028 to 2034

for the Committee on Fisheries on the proposal for a regulation establishing the conditions for the implementation of the Union support to the Common Fisheries Policy, to the European Ocean Pact and of the Union’s maritime and aquaculture policy as part of the National and Regional Partnership Fund set out in Regulation (EU) […] [NRP Fund] for the period from 2028 to 2034

(COM(2025)0559 – C100171/2025 – 2025/0235(COD))

The Committee on Budgets has carried out a budgetary assessment of the proposal under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and has reached the following conclusions:

The Committee on Budgets,

A.whereas the Commission proposed far-reaching changes in the legal architecture of the Common Fisheries Policies (CFP) for the next financial framework period; whereas the established dedicated Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is to be discontinued, the related expenditure to be integrated in the NRP fund and the provisions for eligible interventions lumped up with the provisions for agricultural policy;

B.whereas, in line with Article 10(2)(a)(ii) of the proposed NRP Regulation, the ringfenced financial envelope for fisheries interventions is set at a level of EUR 2,00 billion, which might be supplemented by additional resources within the national plans; whereas this compares to an envelope of EUR 6,1 billion for the EMFAF under the current MFF 2021-2027;

C.whereas the relevant financial and budgetary provisions for the CFP are set in the NRP regulation, in particular the allocation, the governance, the types of intervention and specific rules applying to outermost regions;

D.whereas eligible measures for the CFP are to be diffused into various MFF headings, in particular Heading 1 for action under the NRPPs, Heading 2 for certain directly managed action through the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) and Heading 3, external spending for contributions to regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPA) with third countries;

E.whereas Parliament’s Interim Report regrets the reduction of the budget and calls for an increase to EUR 7,29 billion (in current prices, which is equivalent to EUR 6.50 billion in 2025 constant prices) and for additional financing under the external heading 3 amounting to EUR 1,69 billion (in current prices which is equivalent to EUR 1,50 billion in 2025 constant prices);

1.Reiterates its criticism that the amounts dedicated to the CFP would not be sufficient to attain the objectives of the policy, which comprises areas of exclusive EU competence;

2.Insists therefore that the programme envelope should be increased from EUR 2 billion to EUR 7,29 billion (in current prices, which would be equivalent to EUR 6,50 in constant 2025 prices) in order to fulfil the programme’s multiple and ambitious objectives with the necessary predictability;

3.Considers that sufficient human resources must be available from the outset and throughout the entire programming period of the next MFF to ensure an effective implementation of the Union agricultural and fisheries policy; reminds that the appropriations for staff and administrative support expenditure must eventually be realigned with modified operational allocations;