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opinion parliamentary committee draft, 10 November 2025

On discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the EU agencies for the financial year 2024

Document PECH-PA-779547 · (2025/2156(DEC))

Committee on Fisheries · Rapporteur: Giuseppe Lupo

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AI:In short

The Committee on Fisheries proposes granting discharge to the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency for the 2024 budget, while noting concerns about resources, gender parity, and cooperation. It welcomes the Court of Auditors' positive statement on the Agency's accounts, but notes observations on management and carry-overs. It stresses that the Agency's budget and staff are among the lowest, despite increased activities and new obligations from revised control regulations. It calls for adequate resources, support for Member States on forced labour infringements, and enhanced cooperation with other EU agencies and bodies.

Position. The Committee on Fisheries proposes that discharge be granted to the Executive Director of the Agency for the 2024 budget, while raising concerns about resources and gender parity.

Key points

  1. Proposes discharge to the Executive Director for the 2024 budget implementation.
  2. Notes the Court's statement that the Agency's accounts comply with the Financial Regulation and accounting rules.
  3. Notes the Agency received a EUR 31.98 million contribution in 2024, up 6.2% from 2023, and implemented 99.5% of its work programme.
  4. Deplores that no fixed-wing aerial assets could be chartered due to contract expiry, impairing aerial surveillance.
  5. Stresses that Member States are primarily responsible for fisheries control, with the Agency in a support role.
  6. Calls for financial and human resources to be adequate to increased activities and avoid pressure on staff.
  7. Calls on the Agency to support Member States in identifying serious infringements related to forced labour and provide training.
  8. Notes 45,734 inspections in 2024, a 2% increase, and 4,823 with suspected infringements, up 14%.
  9. Highlights the Agency's role in international ocean governance and harmonised application of EU control systems.
  10. Welcomes cooperation with FRONTEX and EMSA, and calls for increased cooperation with EEA and ESA, including a MoU on marine litter.
  11. Notes the establishment plan was 97% fulfilled, with 75 of 77 temporary agents appointed, and staff expenses up 6.7%.
  12. Concerned that women account for 39% of staff at grade AD 8 or higher, unchanged since 2021, and calls for more efforts on gender parity.

Who is affected

  • The European Fisheries Control Agency and its staff, who face increased workload and resource constraints.
  • Member States, which receive support from the Agency for fisheries control and training on forced labour infringements.
  • EU inspectors, who need adequate training on serious infringements related to forced labour.
  • Third countries, which benefit from the Agency's capacity-building and training.

Figures and deadlines

  • EUR 31.98 million contribution from the Union budget in 2024, an increase of 6.2% from 2023.
  • 99.5% implementation of the annual work programme in 2024, compared to 98% in 2023.
  • 100% budget implementation in commitments and 78% in payments.
  • 45,734 inspections in 2024, a 2% increase; 4,823 with suspected infringements, a 14% increase.
  • Establishment plan 97% fulfilled, with 75 temporary agents appointed out of 77 authorised.
  • Staff expenses increased by 6.7% compared to 2023.
  • Women account for 39% of staff at grade AD 8 or higher, unchanged since 2021; overall female staff is 50%.

Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem

Full text

Opinion 21 paragraphs

The Committee on Fisheries calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1.Takes note of the report of the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’) on the annual accounts of the European Fisheries Control Agency (the ‘Agency’) for the financial year 2024, the Agency’s 2024 annual activity report and the analysis and assessment of that report by the Agency’s Administrative Board;

2.Expresses its satisfaction concerning the activities carried out by the Court and the Court’s statement that the Agency’s accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024 are in compliance with the Union’s Financial Regulation and with the accounting rules adopted by the Commission’s accounting officer; notes the observations of the Court regarding management and control systems and the reiterated use of carry-overs; welcomes the Agency's explanations and its commitment to address these issues;

3.Notes that the Agency received a EUR 31,98 million contribution under the general budget of the Union in 2024, representing an increase of 6.2 % in respect of 2023; points out that both the Agency’s annual budget and its complement of staff are among the lowest among Union agencies; stresses that, meanwhile, the activities of the Agency increased;

4.Acknowledges that in the financial year 2024 the Agency was able to implement 99,5 % of its annual work programme compared to 98% in 2023; notes that the Agency was able to carry out its operations and implement its budget as planned, with an overall budget implementation of 100 % in terms of commitments and 78 % in terms of payments;

5.Recalls the Unions ‘zero tolerance’ approach to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing /IUU fishing) and the Agency’s vital contribution in the implementation of the common fisheries policy (CFP), in particular of fisheries control and the fight against IUU fishing; deplores, in this regard, that due to the expiry of the framework contract, no fixed wing aerial assets could be chartered thus impairing EFCA’s aerial surveillance potential; notes that expenses for chartering Off-Shore Patrol Vessels decreased by 2,5 %;

6.Stresses the importance of the Agency’s reliance on external sources of revenue with a view of securing funds to fulfil its statutory objectives;

7.Recalls that it is the Member States that are primarily responsible for the control of fishing activities, while the Agency’s tasks are limited to support, coordination, as well as to providing assistance in this area to the Member States;

8.Stresses that the newly adopted revision of the Fisheries Control Regulations increased the Agency’s workload in particular to enable a more harmonised application of the rules among Member States; emphasises the importance that growing obligations without sufficient resources to do so would be incoherent;

9.Stresses, therefore, that the financial and human resources available to the Agency need to be coherently adequate to the increase of the activities carried out and avoid any additional pressure on the staff's activity and the quality of their working conditions; invites the Agency to continue its efforts to ensure the optimal use of the allocated appropriations;

10.Calls on the Agency to support Member States' monitoring and identifying serious infringements linked to the application of Article 90(2), point (p) of Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 concerning forced labour, and providing adequate training for EU inspectors on these serious infringements;

11.Notes that, in 2024, the Agency reported a total number of 45 734 inspections, a 2% increase in comparison with 2023, with the number of inspections with at least one suspected infringement increasing to 4 823, a 14% increase compared with 2023;

Read the rest (9 paragraphs)

12.Reconfirms our commitment to a rule based international system and highlights the important role of the Union in Internation Ocean Governance and Diplomacy; highlights, in this regard and in relation to the fight against IUU fishing, that the agency has an important role to encourage an increased and harmonised application of the EU control systems in place to combat illegal fishing;

13.Notes with appreciation the Agency’s continued cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to support national authorities carrying out coastguard functions in line with Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 2019/473; considers to be a good example of cooperation and synergies between Union agencies that should be encouraged and inspire agencies in other areas; calls on the Agency to continue its efforts in that regard;

14.Express its conviction that it is also appropriate to increase the cooperation between the Agency and the European Environment Agency (EEA), especially on data sharing, and the European Space Agency (ESA); welcomes in that regard the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the EEA to exchange information, knowledge and conduct pilot projects at sea, notably a project dedicated to marine litter including monitoring, retrieval, collection, and recycling of abandoned or lost fishing gear in designated maritime areas;

15.Highlights the role of the Agency in offering capacity-building and training to third countries and the Agency’s crucial role in securing a level playing field with all coastal states;

16.Notes that, on 31 December 2024, the establishment plan was 97% fulfilled, with 75 temporary agents appointed out of 77 temporary agents authorised under the Union budget; takes note of the increase of staff expenses of 6,7% in comparison with 2023;

17.Takes note of the Agency’s policy of promoting equal treatment of staff and of its goal of gender equality in terms both of numbers and of grades and responsibility levels; acknowledges with concern that women account for 39 % of staff employed at grade AD 8 or higher, with no change since 2021, although the overall percentage of female staff members is 50%; notes that more must be done in order to attain parity at management level; reiterates its call on the Agency to step up its efforts with regard to its gender parity policy with a view to making progress towards parity at management level as well;

18.Reaffirms its belief that the absence of an autonomous fisheries’ dedicated fund in Commission´s proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 will have detrimental effects on the EU fishing fleet and its capacity to comply with the Common Fisheries Policy;

19.Is concerned that the lack of dedicated fisheries funds in the future MFF will undermine the Agency´s capacity to support the implementation of the CFP, in particular in the harmonisation of fisheries control among Member States, undermine the fight against IUU fishing and reduce level playing field among EU fleets and EU fleets with third countries fleets;

20.Proposes that discharge be granted to the Executive Director of the Agency in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2024.

Annex: declaration of input 1 paragraph

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.