On the role of social, economic and environmental standards in safeguarding fair competition for all aquatic food products and improving food security

A.whereas the EU is highly dependent on aquatic food imports (around 70 %) and measures must be urgently implemented to reduce this dependence in order to make full use of the total allowable catches, increase aquaculture production and reduce food waste;

B.whereas the CFP strives to balance economic, social and environmental standards, but frequently falls short of the desired outcome;

C.whereas aquatic food products are a source of high-quality protein with a low environmental footprint;

D.whereas the 2024 Eurobarometer shows a decline in the consumption of aquatic food in the EU, which is mainly attributed to rising prices, leading consumers to opt for cheaper, unhealthier and less nutritious food alternatives;

E.whereas administrative, licensing, spatial planning, social and environmental obligations in the EU are often burdensome and lengthy, which leads to uncertainty, discourages investment, drives up costs, and is unfair when compared to non-EU countries that have trade relations with the EU;

F.whereas illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing presents serious threats to fish stocks, affecting food security and the sustainability of the sector;

G.whereas coastal communities and the outermost regions are more vulnerable to unfair competition and the consequences of climate change, which significantly jeopardise fisheries and the competitiveness of the sector, threaten aquaculture and EU food security, and adversely affect local economies and livelihoods;

Role of standards in fisheries and aquaculture

1.Emphasises the need for mandatory labelling of all aquatic food products placed on the EU market, including a clear distinction between wild-caught and farmed products, as well as their country/region of origin and the nutritional quality of the imported aquatic products, in order to improve traceability, consumer information and fair competition across the sector; highlights the need to create the conditions to implement quality schemes such as geographical indications and protected designations of origin;

2.Calls on the Commission to ensure that the eCatch system is operational and that the Member States’ national authorities are fully prepared to use it;

3.Stresses that, according to Article 17 of the CFP Regulation, the Member States must use transparent and objective criteria, including environmental, social and economic ones, when allocating fishing opportunities, promoting multiannual allocation and fair distribution to ensure stability and predictability for the sector, also taking into account small-scale fisheries and coastal communities;

4.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address any gaps within the customs legal framework, sustainable fisheries partnership agreements and EU trade agreements in order to guarantee a level playing field for the EU sector and to ensure that all imports comply with the same or equivalent standards as those established for the EU, guaranteeing the competitiveness of the EU sector;

5.Calls on the Commission to harmonise import controls across the Member States in order to guarantee the same standards for aquatic products and to prevent IUU products from entering the EU;

6.Calls on the Commission to exclude countries subject to yellow (after careful consideration) or red cards from benefiting from the autonomous tariff quota regime, which also should not be used to exert downward pressure on EU producers’ prices; emphasises the need to reinforce traceability systems through measures such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive;

7.Calls on the Commission to strengthen international cooperation and leadership, especially under the framework of the Ocean Pact, giving a central role to fisheries and aquaculture, and thus also to aquatic food security; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to take the opportunity to engage with non-EU countries to align with EU standards and combat IUU fishing, particularly by non-EU fleets operating in international waters;

Resilience and food security

8.Highlights the EU sector’s critical role in providing nutritious, high-quality seafood to meet EU food security needs and improve consumers’ health;

9.Emphasises that economic standards, coupled with a reduction in administrative burdens and legislative simplification, are vital for bolstering the resilience of fisheries and aquaculture supply chains, in turn mitigating vulnerabilities to market shocks, including price volatility and supply shortages, while also ensuring a stable market for aquatic food products;

10.Calls for strengthened financial and policy support for traditional sustainable fisheries practices and small-scale and artisanal fisheries; recognises the need to grant greater autonomy to the outermost regions in relation to funding and legislation, re-establishing the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI-Fisheries), which is now integrated into the EMFAF in order to support the sector in overcoming structural disadvantages and ensuring the viability of local fishing communities;

Social, economic and environmental standards

11.Emphasises the crucial role of labour rights, the employment of women and young people, fair wages and a safe working environment in ensuring fair and ethical practices in fisheries and aquaculture;

12.Calls on the Member States to take every opportunity to invest in research and innovation and to make better use of the complementarity of EU funds, such as the Cohesion Fund, Horizon Europe and EMFAF – which is not, in fact, effectively reaching its final beneficiaries – and to ensure better access to funding for small and medium-sized enterprises;

13.Stresses that innovation is crucial to develop sustainable fishing practices and gear, minimising the environmental impact, reducing fuel consumption and bycatches, and in turn increasing the competitiveness of the sector;

°

° °

14.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.