PRESS/ 940 
 
23 November 2023  
(23-7912) Page: 1/2 
    
 
PRESS RELEASE  
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
EU donates EUR 1 million to WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism  
The European Union is contributing EUR 1 million (about CHF 957,000) in a multi -year donation to 
the WTO Fisheries Funding Mechanism to assist developing members and least -developed 
members in implementing the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. Ambassador João Aguiar 
Machado  presented the contribution to WTO Director -General Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala on 23 
November.  
 
Director -General Okonjo -Iweala said: "I am deeply appreciative to the European Union for its 
generous donation to the Fisheries Funding Mechanism. This contribution, which complements 
earlier donations by individual EU member states as well as other WTO members, w ill go a long 
way towards broadening the reach of global efforts to make marine fisheries sustainable. 
Furthermore, the EU's support comes at a vital moment in the push for entry into force of the 
Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies."  
 
Ambassador Aguiar Macha do said: "For the EU, the WTO’s Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS) 
is a significant step forward in the protection of the health of our oceans as well as a positive 
indicator of the health of the WTO’s ability to negotiate multilateral rules to respond  to global 
challenges. For both reasons, the Agreement must be properly implemented and the EU’s 
contribution of EUR 1 million to the Fund is a signal of our commitment to that objective, along 
with our own early ratification and our engagement in the nego tiations to complete the second 
phase negotiations by the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13). We urge all members to ratify the 
AFS as soon as possible to allow it to enter into force when Ministers meet in Abu Dhabi in 
February."  
 
The EU's donation brings  the total contribution to date from the EU and its member states to EUR 
7.5 million. This includes donations of EUR 1 million from France, EUR 2 million from Germany, 
EUR 1 million from the Netherlands, EUR 2 million from Spain and EUR 500,000 from Sweden . 
Other member states are considering or working towards additional donations.  
 
The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies will enter into force upon acceptance of its legal instrument 
by two -thirds of the membership. Nearly half of what is needed for the Agreem ent to come into 
effect is already in hand. Because the new Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies will involve 
adjustments and enhancements to WTO members' legislative and administrative frameworks, their 
transparency and notification obligations, and their fis heries management policies and 
practices,  Article 7 of the Agreement  provides for the cre ation of a voluntary funding mechanism 
to provide targeted technical assistance and capacity building to help developing and least -
developed country members with implementation.  PRESS/ 940 
 
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  The fund is operated by the WTO with partner organizations, namely the Food an d Agriculture 
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and 
the World Bank Group, which bring to bear relevant expertise and allow the WTO to leverage its 
own expertise.  
 
More information on the fund, which became operational on 8 November, is available  here. 
 
Including the most recent donation, the EU's total contribution to the  various WTO trust funds 
from 2003 to 2023 is CHF 32,504,606.  
 
 
END