EU member states have agreed a partial negotiating position on rules for EU support for fisheries, aquaculture and related maritime policies under the bloc’s next long-term budget for 2028 — 2034.
The agreement sets out the stance of the Council of the EU on a regulation covering support for the common fisheries policy — the EU’s framework for managing fishing — as well as maritime and aquaculture policies and the European ocean pact, the Council said.
Budget and other cross-cutting issues were left out of the position and are due to be handled in wider talks on the EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF), the seven-year spending plan that will run from 2028 to 2034.
The Council noted that the proposed approach would deliver most fisheries and aquaculture support through national and regional partnership plans (NRPPs), which are planned funding plans drawn up by member states.
It added that the new structure would replace several existing funds, programmes and rules — including the current European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) — with a single “funding toolbox”.
Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said the agreement would provide a basis for shaping future EU support for the fisheries sector and referenced “the energy transition” as one of the challenges facing the industry.
Fleet upgrades and subsidy rules
EU funding could be used for fleet modernisation, including investments in existing and new vessels, under the Council’s position.
The Council said this would support the sector’s energy transition, improve working conditions on board and help generational renewal.
It added that safeguards were included to prevent EU funding from increasing pressure on fish stocks, including requirements in some cases that additional fishing capacity is not introduced unless existing capacity is withdrawn, with specific rules for small-scale coastal fishing.
The Council informed that it also amended the text to reflect the World Trade Organization agreement on fisheries subsidies, which has been binding on the EU since September 2025, and added an article on control and data collection for managing fisheries.
Negotiations with the European Parliament will follow, with the Council presidency using the agreed mandate as the basis for talks. The overall budget for the programmes will depend on the final MFF deal.
