On General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections

12.Stresses the need for providing financial support dedicated to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity and the just transition to more low-impact fisheries and aquaculture; recognises that the implementation of some measures, like temporary closures of fishing grounds or gear restrictions, can have a significant economic impact on fishers and associated processing sectors; calls on the Commission to provide for swift and adequate compensation mechanisms to ensure that protection, restoration and conservation actions are also socially and economically sustainable, particularly for fishers on islands and outermost regions;

13.Recalls that the EOP proposes marine protection measures on a case-by-case basis, reflecting the unique ecological, economic, and social characteristics of each sea basin or marine region, including with respect to strict protection targets;

14.Stresses the importance of giving special and particular support for the small-scale and artisanal fishing fleet; reaffirms that such actions could consist of improving safety, working conditions, energy efficiency, access to fishing opportunities, environmental sustainability, and Union competitiveness, including vessel modernisation or renewal where appropriate and under specific conditions, with an adequate regime for fishing effort while preventing overcapacity and overfishing - in order to encourage generational renewal of the sector; stresses the importance of ensuring that fishing fleets, including the small-scale fleet, have sufficient financial support in situations of permanent and temporary cessation in order to implement adjustments to fishing capacity or reduction of fishing opportunities;

15.Reiterates that small-scale fishing represents an essential cultural, social and economic heritage for many European coastal communities; underlines that adequate attention should be given to low-impact, small-scale fishers in the allocation of financial support, and Member States should define transparent criteria when distributing such support; calls, therefore, for EMFAF to reserve dedicated and accessible resources to support small-scale fishing, improving safety on board, training, and compensation in case of temporary or permanent cessation, in order to preserve this sector and encourage generational renewal;

16.Highlights that the transition to more sustainable fishing practices requires significant investment by fishers, especially those from small-scale fleets and island regions; therefore calls for dedicated funds to support fishers for the modernisation and renewal of the fleet, as well as the acquisition of selective gear, waste reduction systems, and low-emission fishing equipment;

17.Stresses that climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and the increased presence of new alien predatory species, have negative consequences on marine ecosystems and the fishing sector, which requires financial support also considering resources other than EMFAF such as new own resources;

18.Considering the increasing frequency of adverse weather events that severely affect fleets and fishing infrastructures, particularly in island regions, calls for strong mitigation measures in all policy areas against climate change, and further stresses the need to secure emergency funding dedicated to the management of climate and environmental crises, which can provide rapid and flexible support to fishers and aquaculture producers in case of material damage or reduction of fishing activity;

19.Stresses the importance of ensuring specific and sufficient funding for measures to prevent, control and eradicate invasive alien species, which severely impact the viability of fisheries and aquaculture activities, marine and coastal ecosystems, and native biodiversity; calls for actions to prevent their introduction and the necessary compensation to fishers and aquaculture producers who have been affected by invasive species, ensuring that those whose livelihoods are threatened by the disruption of local ecosystems receive the necessary support to mitigate losses and maintain their operations;

20.Emphasises the importance of utilising the temporary economic value of invasive species during control and eradication actions of these species;

21.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to decisively improve and promote the development of sustainable EU aquaculture production, addressing the bottlenecks and constraints identified, as well as to reduce the dependence of imports of aquaculture products from third countries; stresses that with an appropriate use of EMFAF funds it is possible to diversify and increase sustainable EU aquaculture production, by supporting and promoting regenerative low-trophic aquaculture, and other activities which are supplementary to fisheries, such as pescatourism; highlights the importance in this regard of supporting gender equality policies in order to further stimulate and support generational renewal, giving priority to the criteria of economic viability and professional engagement;

22.Calls on the Commission to consider options to boost aquaculture in Europe, including the possibility of a specified funding and policy - Common Aquaculture Policy - in order to establish a clear framework, objectives and environmental, economic and social safeguards for the effective and sustainably development of EU aquaculture;

23.Calls on the Commission to continue the campaign “EU Aquaculture. We work for you with passion” in 2026, considering that the current 3-month period is not enough to show Union citizens the benefits of this activity; notes that it is necessary to sustainably increase EU production and reduce our dependency on food imports from unsustainable production, while boosting local production and economies;

24.Reiterates its call for adequate funding to support the implementation of the new Fisheries Control Regulation, including support for remote electronic monitoring systems for the fleet, AI-based species identification systems, traceability systems from source to fork and the increased responsibilities of the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA); further calls for transparent reporting by Member States on enforcement actions and compliance data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2023/2842, in order to promote a level playing field and continue to enforce the Union’s zero tolerance policy against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing;

25.Supports the reinforcement of the international dimension of the CFP with adequate resources for ocean governance, international cooperation and ocean diplomacy, including stakeholder engagement in third countries ensuring fair competition for all parties; emphasises the importance of continuing the Union’s zero tolerance approach with strong actions against IUU fishing, led by the example and work for achieving global sustainable fisheries, ensuring compliance by all countries of shared rules, promoting a level playing field, particularly through a sea-basin approach, and the application of effective enforcement methods; calls equally for the provision of financial support for the implementation of the United Nations Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (the BBNJ Agreement);

26.Stresses that the Mediterranean Sea, in particular in the areas surrounding Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, Greece and Cyprus, are particularly exposed to IUU fishing activities of third parties, which severely damages the local environment with direct negative impact on fishing activities; calls for the strengthening of controls and international cooperation, through EFCA; calls on EFCA and the Member States to monitor all fleets whose activities can pose a direct risk to ecosystems, food security and the sustainability of the fisheries sector and the environment, in particular third country fleets operating in waters adjacent to Union waters;

27.Calls for the necessary targeted funding for improvement of research, development and deployment of low-emission propulsion systems adapted to all different fleet segments, including vessels above 24 metres in length, and various gear types to reduce emissions and dependency on fossil fuels, including the necessary infrastructure adaptations in Union ports;

28.Stresses that adequately funded training, in particular for young and new fishers, and a skilled, diverse workforce are key for achieving generational renewal, including gender equality; stresses the need to support young fishers on the basis of merit, vocation and technical capacity criteria; reiterates the need to attract younger generations, ensuring the continuity of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors;

29.Stresses the urgency of policies aiming at generational renewal in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, with technical, entrepreneurial and safety training programmes funded from the Union budget; also calls for a specific commitment to facilitate the entry of young fishers, particularly on islands and in remote areas, with start-up incentives and support for innovative sustainable fisheries and aquaculture projects;

30.Reiterates the need for dedicated financial development support to coastal and small islands communities, and outermost regions; urges the Commission to promote fleet modernisation and renewal, in particular in the outermost regions, in line with the Treaties; reiterates the need to properly fund and compensate for additional costs for fishery and aquaculture products in outermost regions and peripheral areas in line with the Treaties; in this regard, asks the Commission to evaluate the possibility to re-establish an autonomous programme to compensate for additional costs in outermost regions, like the previous programme known as POSEI Fisheries;

31.Strongly emphasises the specificity of island and outermost regions, where insularity entails significantly higher production and logistics costs, with direct repercussions on the competitiveness of local fishers; therefore calls on the Commission to provide for increased, simplified and dedicated funding lines for these areas in the EMFAF and the Union budget, to support, among others, fleet renewal and modernisation, incentivising sustainable and low environmental impact technologies, and to compensate for higher energy, maintenance and insurance costs;

32.Considering the increasing economic difficulties linked to rising energy and raw material costs and global competition, calls on the Commission to consider further measures for fishers to support the transition to sustainable low emission fuels, technological innovations and fleet modernisation, as well as facilitate access to credit, while fully respecting environmental sustainability and international agreements;

33.Highlights that port infrastructures on islands and in the outermost regions are often inadequate or obsolete, limiting the operational capacity and competitiveness of local fisheries; calls on the Commission to support the modernisation and, where necessary, expansion of port infrastructures, with a particular focus on storage, landing services and areas for the maintenance and refuelling of vessels, also favouring access to digital technologies and traceability systems;

34.Emphasises the need to adopt an integrated approach for the socio-economic development of fishing communities on islands and in the outermost regions, including not only direct support to fisheries but also the promotion of sustainable tourism related to pescatourism, vocational training, and local cooperation initiatives between fishers, public and private entities, accompanied by appropriate Union funding;

35.Reiterates the importance of incentivising the renewal of the fishing fleet with modern, more energy-efficient and less environmentally damaging fishing activities; therefore calls for more non-repayable grants and credit facilities for fishers, with priority given to fleets in island regions and to small operators, so that they can swiftly adapt to the environmental regulations without compromising their economic sustainability, with the use of more energy-efficient engines and fishing techniques with less environmental impact;

36.Stresses that fishers in island and outermost regions often face complex and uneven administrative procedures, which limits access to funding and slows down activities; calls, therefore, for simplification and harmonisation of administrative procedures across the Union, with actions at national and regional level, including in the outermost regions, with dedicated one-stop shops, and for greater technical support for small-scale fishing enterprises;

37.Calls for measures that eliminate administrative and financial barriers faced by small-scale fisheries producer organisations, ensuring equitable recognition, support, and eligibility across the Union.