The European Commission has opened a public “call for evidence” on a planned Vision 2040 strategy for EU fisheries and aquaculture, with submissions accepted until 24 March 2026.
The Vision 2040 is intended to set a 15-year strategic framework for the sector, focusing on long-term sustainability and competitiveness, the Commission informed on Tuesday.
It said fisheries and aquaculture contribute to European food security and to jobs in coastal communities, but face pressures including an ageing workforce, limited “generational renewal”, external shocks, reliance on fossil fuels, and the need to harvest fish stocks sustainably.
The Vision 2040 is expected to cover the full value chain — fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic food processing — the Commission added.
It said the work will build on commitments in the European Ocean Pact, the Fishers of the Future foresight study, and an ongoing evaluation of the EU’s common fisheries policy regulation.
Who is being asked to respond
The call for evidence is open to fishing industry representatives and producer organisations, aquaculture and processing operators, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups, academic and scientific institutions, national, regional and local authorities, social and economic partners, and citizens, the Commission said.
Submissions can be made through the Commission’s “Have Your Say” portal.
The Commission said feedback will be used to help develop the Vision 2040, alongside “structured dialogue” with stakeholders that includes discussions on food security, conserving marine biological resources, and changes described as green, digital and social transitions in coastal communities.
