Europeche

Today, the European Commission has unveiled its proposal for the EU budget covering the period 2028 to 2034. As part of this plan, the Commission aims to consolidate various funding instruments under national and regional partnerships to support investment and reform. One of the key pillars— the European Economic, Territorial, Social, Rural and Maritime Sustainable Prosperity and Security Fund—would merge the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) with several other programmes, including those related to agriculture, cohesion and regional development. According to Europêche, such a decision disregards the strategic importance of fisheries, as one of the few truly common EU policies, shockingly omitted even from the new fund’s title. This clearly sends a disheartening signal to the European fishing sector and the coastal communities that depend on it.

Europeche

As the European Council and the Parliament prepare to discuss the future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), leading EU associations urge EU policymakers to maintain and strengthen the current fund for fisheries and aquaculture, emphasizing its critical role in food security, economic stability and environmental sustainability.