On the multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea

Fishing in the Mediterranean is part of Europe’s history, culture and identity. For centuries, Mediterranean coastal communities have built their economic and social development around fishing activities that not only provide quality food for millions of Europeans, but also play a part in territorial cohesion, employment and the preservation of deeply rooted knowledge and traditions.

The adoption of Regulation (EU) 2019/1022 establishing a multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea addressed the need to ensure that certain fish stocks under pressure recover. The sector, the Member States and the EU institutions share the goal of achieving sustainable exploitation of marine resources. However, the experience gained since the plan took effect more than five years ago has shown that the current regulatory framework has significant limitations that require an urgent overhaul if progress is to be made with the EU’s common goal of increasing competitiveness in all areas.

During that period, the Mediterranean fleet has put in extraordinary efforts to adapt. Fishers have accepted successive reductions in fishing effort, incurred substantial economic costs and invested considerable resources with the aim of improving the sustainability of their activity. The adoption of more selective gear, the introduction of flying doors, the use of more selective nets and other technical improvements demonstrate the sector’s commitment to conserving resources and reducing its environmental impact in a bid to buoy up its work, which supports thousands of fishing companies in the Mediterranean, the majority of which belong to working families.

Those efforts have helped to boost certain stocks. However, the practical application of the plan has also revealed major economic and social difficulties. In many cases, the continuous reduction in fishing days has brought the activity level of vessels close to or even below the minimum profitability thresholds, jeopardising the viability of fishing companies, generational renewal and the preservation of employment in coastal communities.

This assessment places the spotlight on the fact that the methodology currently applied under the multiannual plan continues to give predominant weight to biological indicators, without sufficiently integrating the socio-economic consequences that result from management decisions. The common fisheries policy is based on three inseparable pillars: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability. None of them can flourish in isolation.

The rapporteur finds the application of the concept of ‘most vulnerable stock’ particularly concerning. It has led to a rigid effort management system based on the logic of choke species. This approach does not adequately reflect the real-world conditions faced by Mediterranean mixed fisheries, which catch multiple species simultaneously and are set apart by their considerable operational diversity between regions and fleet segments.

The report therefore proposes an ambitious reform of the regulation to adapt it to Mediterranean fisheries’ actual characteristics. The proposed amendments include removing the definition of ‘most vulnerable stock’, explicitly incorporating socio-economic criteria in decision-making and in the allocation of fishing days, and amending Article 4 to fully recognise the mixed nature of these fisheries.

It also proposes introducing flexibility mechanisms that already exist in other EU multiannual plans, including stabilisation mechanisms limiting annual reductions in fishing effort, year-to-year transfers and more predictable management systems that enable companies to plan their work and investments for the medium and long term.

The particular position that some fisheries are in also calls for specific attention. The blue and red shrimp fishery is a prime example of overly complex regulation, as it is subject to both a quota system and limitations on fishing days. That dual restriction has created major economic and operational difficulties, and the report therefore calls for it to be removed as a matter of urgency.

If fisheries governance in the Mediterranean is to be improved, the scientific basis for decisions must also be stepped up. The availability of reliable data, coordination between national, European and regional scientific bodies, and cooperation with the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean are essential to ensuring that decisions are transparent and informed. Similarly, the actual effects of the measures already adopted need to be assessed properly before further reductions in fishing opportunities are considered.

The sustainability of Mediterranean fisheries does not depend solely on EU fleets. The persistence of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities in the Mediterranean basin, as well as the differences in the level of compliance between coastal countries, create unfair competition and undermine the efforts made by EU fishers. The report therefore advocates bolstering regional cooperation, the role of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and the control, inspection and surveillance capabilities of both the Member States and the European Fisheries Control Agency.

Fisheries is also a strategic sector for the European Union. In a geopolitical context marked by the growing importance of strategic autonomy and food security, fisheries production is an essential asset for the EU that needs to be protected and strengthened. Maintaining a modern, competitive and sustainable fleet is a prerequisite for reducing dependence on imports from third countries and safeguarding the supply of high-quality fishery products to European consumers.

Finally, the rapporteur considers it imperative that the future revision of the western Mediterranean multiannual plan be part of a broader effort to simplify and modernise the common fisheries policy. EU legislation must continue to protect the sustainability of resources, but it must also be more understandable, proportionate and tailored to the situation on the ground. The competitiveness of the EU fleet, generational renewal, innovation and economic profitability must once again be at the forefront of EU fisheries policies.

This report aims to contribute to that objective through a balanced proposal combining environmental sustainability, economic viability and social cohesion, ensuring a future for Mediterranean fisheries and for the communities that depend on them.

on the multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea

(2026/2074(INI))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to the multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea,

–having regard to Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), Article 4, Article 43(3) and Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and Article 37 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

–having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC (CFP),

–having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea and amending Regulation (EU) No 508/2014,

–having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006, (EC) No 1224/2009 and Regulations (EU) No 1380/2013, (EU) 2016/1139, (EU) 2018/973, (EU) 2019/472 and (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 894/97, (EC) No 850/98, (EC) No 2549/2000, (EC) No 254/2002, (EC) No 812/2004 and (EC) No 2187/2005,

–having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/2053 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, amending Regulations (EC) No 1936/2001, (EU) 2017/2107, and (EU) 2019/833 and repealing Regulation (EU) 2016/1627,

–having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 November 2023 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, and amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006 and (EC) No 1005/2008 and Regulations (EU) 2016/1139, (EU) 2017/2403 and (EU) 2019/473 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards fisheries control,

–having regard to the State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries report by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),

–having regard to Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive),

–having regard to Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning (Maritime Spatial Planning Directive),

–having regard to the report of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) of 10 December 2020 entitled ‘Social Dimension of the CFP’ (STECF-2014),

–having regard to its resolution of 11 May 2023 towards a strong and sustainable EU algae sector,

–having regard to its resolution of 19 January 2023 on the small-scale fisheries situation in the EU and future perspectives,

–having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on the state of play in the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and future perspectives,

–having regard to the Commission communication of 5 June 2025 entitled ‘The European Ocean Pact’ (COM(2025)0281),

–having regard to the report of April 2024 by Enrico Letta entitled ‘Much more than a market’,

–having regard to the report of 9 September 2024 by Mario Draghi entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’,

–having regard to the political guidelines for the next European Commission 20242029 of 18 July 2024,

–having regard to the Commission communication of 29 January 2025 entitled ‘A Competitiveness Compass for the EU’ (COM(2025)0030),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 16 October 2025 entitled ‘Pact for the Mediterranean – One Sea, One Pact, One Future’,

–having regard to the Commission communication of 6 June 2025 entitled ‘Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2026’ (COM(2025)0296),

–having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure, as well as Article 1(1)(e) of, and Annex 3 to, the decision of the Conference of Presidents of 12 December 2002 on the procedure for granting authorisation to draw up own-initiative reports,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A100000/2026),

A.whereas the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most diverse marine regions in the world, supports coastal communities and economies that have been dependent on fisheries for millennia, and is a cradle of civilisations and a cornerstone of Europe’s cultural, historical and economic identity;

B.whereas the Mediterranean fisheries sector is essential for employment, territorial cohesion and food security in the EU;

C.whereas, over the last seven years, fishing fleets in the Mediterranean have been subject to significant reductions in fishing effort, which have exceeded 44 % in some segments, such as the Spanish trawling fleet;

D.whereas the fishing fleet, especially in the Mediterranean, has gone to considerable lengths to adapt and innovate with a view to making its practices more sustainable, particularly in the trawling segment;

E.whereas the compensatory measures applied to the Mediterranean fleet have helped to partially mitigate the socio-economic impact of reductions in fishing effort, although they are not sufficient to safeguard the long-term viability of the sector;

F.whereas the STECF and the GFCM have highlighted that significant gaps continue to exist in scientific data on demersal stocks in the Mediterranean, making it difficult to properly assess them;

G.whereas linking fishing effort to the most vulnerable stock has in effect created choke species, disproportionately affecting mixed fisheries and the economic viability of the sector;

H.whereas, five years on from its introduction, the western Mediterranean multiannual plan has yielded mixed results, with positive signs of recovery for certain stocks, such as the deep-water rose shrimp, but a slower recovery for others, particularly hake, the most vulnerable stock;

I.whereas the western Mediterranean multiannual plan lacks the year-to-year flexibility and stabilisation mechanisms found in other EU multiannual plans, creating legal uncertainty and economic unpredictability;

J.whereas the mixed nature of fishing in the Mediterranean, where multiple species are caught simultaneously, requires adaptive management measures that take into account fleet selectivity, gear innovation and socio-economic resilience;

K.whereas illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the activities of third-country fleets in the Mediterranean remain insufficiently controlled, which adversely affects fish stocks and the competitiveness of the EU fleet;

L.whereas the fishing sector needs to be made more attractive if it is to secure generational renewal, improve its competitiveness and ensure its viability;

M.whereas the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund is essential for improving the sustainability and competitiveness of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, for supporting fisheries local action groups and for fostering the development of coastal communities, and should therefore remain a dedicated fund with proper funding;

Reforming the multiannual plan for the western Mediterranean

1.Urges the Commission to present, by 1 December 2026, a legislative proposal for an overhaul of Regulation (EU) 2019/1022, incorporating the following changes:

A) replacing the existing effort reduction rules in Article 4(3) with a specific mixed fisheries management approach, as applied in other multiannual plans, dropping the limit on fishing days that was introduced because of ‘choke species’;

B) with a view to providing long-term predictability for fishers and processing sectors, introducing adaptive flexibility mechanisms, such as the yearly carry-over of at least 10 % of fishing opportunities, and establishing biennial effort management cycles;

C) including stabilisation mechanisms that limit reductions and increases in the number of days to 20 %, provided that a minimum profitability threshold is passed, explicitly including socio-economic impact in decision-making (Article 3);

2.Welcomes both the call for evidence for an impact assessment on the multiannual plan, published by the Commission on 26 May 2026, and the Commission’s commitment to assessing the socio-economic effects of measures taken;

3.Calls on the Commission, before it adopts further restrictions, to hold mandatory consultations with all relevant stakeholders, in particular, the Mediterranean Advisory Council, regional scientific bodies, fishers’ organisations and processing industries;

4.Calls on the Commission to review, as a matter of urgency, the specific conditions faced by the red shrimp fishery, the only fishery subject simultaneously to two restrictive management measures – a quota system and limits on fishing days – with a view to doing away with a dual regulatory burden that has severely undermined the economic and operational viability of this fishery in the western Mediterranean;

Strengthening fisheries governance in the Mediterranean: science, monitoring and regional cooperation

5.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up coordination of scientific fisheries research, using the most up-to-date data at European, national and regional level, and to improve interoperability and exchange between EU, GFCM and national technical institutes’ databases;

6.Is deeply concerned about reports of IUU fishing by third countries in Mediterranean waters, including in Member States’ exclusive economic zones; stresses the need to establish a European import control office with a view to preventing IUU products from entering the internal market;

7.Urges the Commission to boost regional cooperation by integrating the western Mediterranean multiannual plan into the broader framework of the EU’s neighbourhood policy; welcomes the objectives of the Pact for the Mediterranean to strengthen cooperation on fisheries governance, control, inspection, monitoring and surveillance with a view to addressing IUU fishing;

Providing equitable support for Mediterranean fisheries

8.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to earmark a ring-fenced budget of at least EUR 7.29 billion for fleet modernisation and renewal (including selective gear, low-emission engines and digital monitoring), temporary cessations and economic diversification programmes;

9.Urges the Commission to present a legislative simplification package that ensures that the common fisheries policy remains competitive, including a targeted revision of the Regulation on the multiannual plan for demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean, incorporating the changes and adjustments identified in this report;

10.Calls on the Commission, before introducing further reductions in fishing opportunities, to allow sufficient time for the measures already adopted to produce measurable results and be subject to a proper assessment of their biological, economic and social effects;

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

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that she included in her report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that she received, in the preparation of the draft report, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that she has made the natural persons in question aware of the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.