COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Towards more sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2021
Date: 2020-06-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: catch of fish, common fisheries policy, epidemic, fishery management, fishing area, fishing fleet, infectious disease, sea fishing, sustainable fisheries

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.6.2020  COM(2020) 248 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Towards more sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2021  {SWD(2020) 112 final}  
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

Towards more sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2021 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

This  Communication  gives  an  overview  of  the  progress  made  in  achieving  sustainable 
fishing  by  EU  fleets  and  reviews  the  socio-economic  performance  of  the  EU  fleet,  the 
balance  between  fishing  capacity  and  fishing  opportunities,  and  the  implementation  of 
the  landing  obligation.  This  communication  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  the 
information provided in the accompanying staff working document. 

In  addition,  this  Communication  includes  the  main  orientations  that  will  shape  the 
Commission’s  proposals  on  fishing  opportunities  for  2021.  Member  States,  advisory 
councils, stakeholders and the public are invited to reflect on the policy orientations set 
out  in  this  Communication  and  to  provide  feedback  to  the  Commission  by  31  August 
2020.  

2.  PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING FMSY 

1

In  the  northeast  Atlantic,  pressure  on  fish  stocks  from  fishing  steadily  eased  between 
2003 and 2018. While the median fishing mortality was more than 1.5 times higher than 
fishing  mortality  at  maximum  sustainable  yield  (Fmsy)  in  the  early  2000s,  it  has  now 
stabilised at around 1.0. This means that fishing has steadily become more sustainable. It 
also  means  that  the  maximum  sustainable  yield  (MSY)  objective  has  been  broadly 
attained, although some challenges still have to be addressed. 

Total  allowable  catches  (TACs)  are  one  of  the  common  fisheries  policy’s  main 
management  tools.  In  the  northeast  Atlantic  and  adjacent  areas,  the  Commission 
proposed  TACs  for  2020  in  line  with  or  below  a  sustainable  level  (in  terms  of  fishing 
mortality  –  Fmsy)  for  all  78  TACs  for  which  Fmsy  advice  was  available,  except  in  6 
cases for which the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) advised 
no catches. In these cases, it was decided to set low-level TACs for by-catches only, so 
that  the  depleted  stocks  could  be  rebuilt,  without  prematurely  shutting  down  important 
commercial fisheries or preventing scientists from collecting scientific data. 

In  addition,  the  regional  multiannual  plans  (MAPs)  for  the  Baltic  Sea2,  the  North  Sea3 
and  the  Western  Waters4  proved  their  worth  by  providing  needed  flexibility  in  fixing 

1 To be read in conjunction with Section 1 of the accompanying staff working document.   

2 Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2016 establishing a 
multiannual plan for the stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and the fisheries exploiting 
those  stocks,  amending  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  2187/2005  and  repealing  Council  Regulation 
(EC) No 1098/2007, OJ L 191, 15.7.2016, p. 1–15. 

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fishing  opportunities  while  allowing  to  fix  fishing  levels  within  the  MSY  range.  In 
certain tightly circumscribed cases, they allowed setting TACs in the upper MSY range, 
thereby  buffering  decreases  of  healthy  stocks.  This  was  the  case  for  southern  and 
northern  hake.  At  the  same  time,  the  MAPs  were  crucial  in  setting  TACs  in  the  lower 
MSY range for a number of stocks that were not in good shape. 

The Council set 62 out  of 78 TACs in line with Fmsy. Therefore, it is expected that in 
2020  more  than  99%  of  landings  in  the  Baltic,  North  Sea  and  the  Atlantic  managed 
exclusively by the EU will come from sustainably managed fisheries. 

As for 11 stocks in the northeast Atlantic, which are managed with non-EU countries, the 
positive  overall  trend  observed  in  EU  waters  until  2014  is  confirmed,  with  the  median 
value of the F/Fmsy indicator closely tracking that produced for EU waters. After 2014, 
however, the indicator shows an increasing number of stocks exploited above Fmsy5.  

Beyond TAC-setting, in 2019 the Council adopted remedial measures under the MAPs to 
allow certain fish stocks to recover: Celtic Sea cod and whiting and eastern Baltic cod. 
Remedial measures were also agreed for North Sea cod, Skagerrak and Kattegat cod in 
the  EU-Norway  consultations.  For  these  stocks,  which  are  in  a  particularly  difficult 
situation,  the  management  focus  is  now  on  rebuilding  the  biomass.  Therefore, 
extraordinary protective measures were put in place to minimise their catches in the main 
commercial  fisheries  (by  using  more  selective  gears)  and  ensure  that  fully  documented 
fisheries had a correct understanding of the fishing patterns.   

However, while these remedial measures will be helpful, in order to ensure a more rapid 
recovery  of  the  Celtic  Sea  cod  stock  in  line  with  the  objectives  of  the  Western  Waters 
MAP, the Commission would have preferred that the TAC for Celtic Sea cod is set at a 
more cautious level for 2020. 

The fishing mortality indicator (F/Fmsy) for the Mediterranean and Black Seas remained 
at a very high level for the entire 2003-2017 period. Since 2011 when F/Fmsy peaked at 
its  highest  historical  level,  the  value  of  F/Fmsy  has  remained  at  around  2.4.  This 
indicates  that  the  stocks  are  being  exploited  on  average  at  rates  well  above  the 
sustainability objective of the common fisheries policy.  

3 Regulation (EU) 2018/973 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 establishing a 
multiannual  plan  for  demersal  stocks  in  the  North  Sea  and  the  fisheries  exploiting  those  stocks, 
specifying  details  of  the  implementation  of  the  landing  obligation  in  the  North  Sea  and  repealing 
Council Regulations (EC) No 676/2007 and (EC) No 1342/2008, OJ L 179, 16.7.2018, p. 1–13. 

4 Regulation (EU) 2019/472 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 establishing 
a  multiannual  plan  for  stocks  fished  in  the  Western  Waters  and  adjacent  waters,  and  for  fisheries 
exploiting  those  stocks,  amending  Regulations  (EU)  2016/1139  and  (EU)  2018/973,  and  repealing 
Council Regulations (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007 
and (EC) No 1300/2008, OJ L 83, 25.3.2019, p. 1–17.  

5  Although  the  STECF  notes  that  the  indicator  for  ICES  area  stocks  outside  EU  waters  is  based  on 

comparatively few stocks, where uncertainty is high. 

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2.1.  Biomass trends6 

In the northeast Atlantic the biomass has continued to increase since 2007, and in 2018 
was 48% higher than in 20037 for fully assessed stocks.  

In the Mediterranean and Black Seas, the situation has remained essentially unchanged 
since  the  start  of  the  data  series  in  2003,  although  since  2012  there  may  have  been  a 
slight  increase  in  biomass.  The  Scientific,  Technical  and  Economic  Committee  for 
Fisheries (STECF) notes, however, the large uncertainty surrounding this indicator. 

Despite significant improvements in lowering the pressure from fishing in the northeast 
Atlantic  and  increasing  biomass,  challenges  remain.  Some  stocks  continue  to  be 
overfished and/or outside safe biological limits, and it is clear that more effort is needed 
to  bring  these  stocks  to  sustainable  levels.  For  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas, 
vigorous  conservation  efforts  also  clearly  need  to  continue,  notably  with  the 
implementation  of  the  Western  Mediterranean  MAP  and  the  many  actions  taken  to 
deliver on the MedFish4Ever and Sofia Declarations, such as the GFCM Adriatic multi-
annual plan for demersal fisheries adopted in 2019.  

2.2.  The state of the EU fleet8 

The number of vessels in the EU fleet continued to decrease. In December 2019, the EU 
fleet  register  (including  the  outermost  regions)  counted  81  279  vessels,  a  reduction  of 
365 vessels  compared to  the previous  year. The overall capacity in  gross tonnage (GT) 
stood  at  1  521  189,  a  decrease  of  11  991  GT  compared  to  a  year  earlier.  The  overall 
capacity  in  kW  stood  at  6  047  356  (kW),  a  decrease  of  428  278  kW  compared  to 
December  2018.  While  the  capacity  of  the  EU  fleet  overall  remains  below  the  fishing 
capacity  ceilings,  this  needs  to  be  put  in  perspective  since  there  is  still  a  significant 
number  of  fleet  segments  likely  not  to  be  in  balance  with  the  fishing  opportunities 
available. The latest findings show that in 2017, of the 247 fleet segments assessed, 182 
were  not  in  balance  according  to  one  of  the  key  biological  indicators  (the  sustainable 
harvest indicator).  

The economic performance of the EU fleet continued to be very good with a net profit of 
around EUR 1.4 billion and an average net profit margin of 18% in 2018. This level of 
profitability represents a great improvement, given that the EU fleet was only marginally 
profitable  in  2008.  Continued  improvements  in  performance  were  mainly  the  result  of 
some important stocks improving, average fish prices being high (more value for fewer 
fish landed) and fuel prices remaining low. 

Although figures are not yet available for 2019, a very good level of overall profitability 
is  also  expected,  with  a  net  profit  and  an  average  net  profit  margin  similar  to  those  of 
2018.  However,  significant  differences  across  the  different  EU  fishing  regions  persist, 
being the Baltic, the Mediterranean and Black Sea those with lower profitability levels. A 

6 To be read in conjunction with Section 1 of the accompanying staff working document.   

7 2003 is used by the STECF as reference year as this is when the data series starts.  

8 To be read in conjunction with Section 4 and 5 of the accompanying staff working document.  

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positive economic trend  was observed for a number of fleets  targeting stocks exploited 
sustainably (such as anglerfish and megrim in the Irish Sea; sole in the western English 
Channel and megrim in the North Sea), which tended to improve their profitability and 
salaries. Conversely, fleets targeting overexploited stocks (eastern Baltic cod, Celtic Sea 
cod) tended to register a poorer economic performance. 

Total employment in the EU fleet in full time equivalents (FTE) has been decreasing on 
average by 1.2% per  year since 2008, partly due  to the decrease in the fleet’s capacity. 
However,  the  average  FTE  wage  has  been  increasing  by  2.5%  per  year.  The  average 
annual  FTE  wage  is  EUR 25 000.  Employment  increased  in  a  number  of  fleets  in  the 
North Sea and Atlantic, which unlike other regions, now seems to be consolidating.  

The  projections  for  the  economic  performance  of  the  EU  fleet  in  2020  remain  highly 
uncertain so far due to the combined effects of the decline in demand and the disruption 
of supply chains resulting from the COVID-19 health crisis. However, early indications 
suggest  that  the  fishery  sector  has  initially  been  hit  hard  by  disruption  to  the  market 
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as demand has seen a sudden decline. The decline in 
demand, and subsequent drop in first sale prices, led many vessels to cease their activity. 
The  closure  of  HORECA  channels  affected  fleet  segments  targeting  high-value  species 
and  small-scale  coastal  fisheries.  Furthermore,  fishing  fleets  depending  on  export 
markets were highly impacted. In addition to the problems of demand, sanitary measures 
hampered some fisheries. 

Since  mid-April,  the  situation  seems  to  be  improving  both  for  the  catching  and  fish 
processing sector9. Very low fuel prices in 2020 may help to ease operating costs in the 
EU fleets. 

To tackle this unprecedented situation, the Commission proposed a range of urgent relief 
measures,  which  the  EU’s  legislators  approved.  These  measures  will  help  to  protect 
thousands of jobs in the EU’s coastal regions and maintain food security. They extend the 
scope of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to allow compensation for 
economic losses caused by the public health crisis, a more flexible allocation of financial 
resources  within  the  operational  programme  of  each  Member  State  and  a  simplified 
procedure for amending operational programmes to introduce the new measures quickly. 
A new temporary framework for State aid enables Member States to provide relief in the 
form of State aid to economic operators active in the fisheries sector and hit by the crisis. 

Even if overall the EU fleet capacity stays below the legal fishing capacity ceilings, the 
significant  number  of  fleet  segments  likely  not  to  be  in  balance  with  the  fishing 
opportunities  available  remains  of  concern  and  should  be  addressed  through  the 
appropriate measures in Member States’ action plans.  

9  Information  is  available  on  the  website  of  the  European  Market  Observatory  for  Fisheries  and 

Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA) at https://www.eumofa.eu.  

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2.3.  The landing obligation10 

The obligation to land all catches entered fully into force in 2019. To assess progress on 
the  landing  obligation,  the  Commission  received  reports  from  18  Member  States11  and 
five  advisory  councils.  Other  sources  of  information  were  also  used,  for  example  a 
workshop  organised  by  the  Commission  on  the  implementation  and  control  and 
enforcement of the landing obligation on 14 June 2019. 

Compliance  in  general  still  appears  to  be  low.  Member  States  must  put  more  focus  on 
control and enforcement. The lack of accurate reporting by most countries of the amount 
of  discarded  fish  under  exemptions  allowed  for  under  the  landing  obligation,  the  very 
low volumes of fish below minimum sizes being landed and the difficulties experienced 
by  Member  States  in  monitoring  such  catches  remain  major  concerns.  Also  because  of 
these  shortcomings,    the  landing  obligation’s  impact  on  Member  States  and  the  fishing 
industry remains  low, despite strong  initial  concerns expressed by stakeholders prior to 
its full implementation in 2019. 

Significantly fewer Member States have carried out specific studies and pilot projects to 
test  selective  gear  or  avoidance  strategies.  In  2019,  the  focus  shifted  to  sampling 
programmes  or  economic  studies  to  support  de  minimis  and  high  survivability 
exemptions.  In  2019,  the  Member  States’  regional  groupings  successfully  addressed 
potential  ‘choke’  situations,  using  solutions  developed  with  the  Commission  and  other 
stakeholders. For example, certain Member States agreed to swap quotas to set by-catch-
only  TACs  accompanied  by  by-catch  reduction  measures.  The  swap  mechanism  was 
used  successfully.  However,  the  STECF  assessed  that  some  of  the  by-catch  reduction 
measures  were  not  effective  enough.  The  Commission  has  therefore  included  some 
intrinsically  linked  remedial  measures12  in  its  fishing  opportunities  proposal  to  address 
this.  

Control  of  the  landing  obligation  remains  a  challenge  that  has  not  been  resolved13.  In 
February  2020,  the  Commission  began  an  audit  series  on  how  selected  Member  States 
ensure  control  and  enforcement  of  the  landing  obligation.  Initial  findings  of  the  audits 
conducted  so  far  indicate  that  the  Member  States  in  question  have  not  adopted  the 
necessary  measures  and  that  there  is  significant  undocumented  discarding  of  catches. 
Those findings  are supported by various reports, including three compliance evaluation 

10 To be read in conjunction with Section 6 of the accompanying staff working document.  

11 The report from Lithuania was received but due to transmission issues was not part of the assessment. 

12 This concerns, for example, remedial measures for cod and whiting in the Celtic Sea and for cod in the 
North Sea and Kattegat  considering restrictions in technical modifications (mesh size, fishing gear) or 
closed areas that would improve the selectivity and decrease the by-catches of the specific stock. Art. 
13, 14 and 15 in Council Regulation (EU) 2020/123. 

13  It  is  not  possible  using  traditional  control  tools  to  determine  whether  discards  have  taken  place  and 
whether  discards  have  been  recorded.  Trials  have  shown  remote  electronic  monitoring  (REM)  tools, 
such  as  closed-circuit  television  (CCTV)  and  sensor  data, to  be  the  most  effective  and  cost-efficient 
means to control the landing obligation at sea, but they are not in use yet. The Commission supported 
the  use  of  these  measures  in  its  proposal  for  a  revised  fisheries  control  system13,  currently  under 
discussion by the Council and the European Parliament. 

5 

 
                                                 
reports14  on  the  implementation  of  the  landing  obligation  by  the  European  Fisheries 
Control  Agency  (EFCA).  These  reports  confirm  that  non-compliance  with  the  landing 
obligation  has  been  widespread  in  certain  fleet  segments  in  the  North  Sea  and  North 
Western Waters for specific fisheries during the evaluation period (2015/2016 to 2017).  

Continuous efforts are needed to increase the selectivity in fishing gear and techniques. 
There  has  to  be  more  focus  on  control  and  enforcement  of  the  landing  obligation,  in 
particular by  using suitable modern  control tools, such as remote electronic monitoring 
systems,  which  are  the  most  effective  and  cost-efficient  means  to  control  the  landing 
obligation at sea. The Commission will continue working with the co-legislators to reach 
an  agreement  on  the  revised  fisheries  control  system15,  which  can  facilitate  the  use  of 
these modern control tools. 

3.  PROPOSALS FOR 2021 FISHING OPPORTUNITIES  

3.1.  Objectives of the fishing opportunities proposals for 2021 

Since  2020,  fish  stocks  are  to  be  managed  in  line  with  the  maximum  sustainable  yield 
target. The main objective of the Commission’s proposals for the Atlantic, North Sea and 
Baltic  Sea  stocks  will  therefore  be  to  maintain  or  reach  maximum  sustainable  yield 
(Fmsy) for MSY-assessed stocks16. The Commission will fully implement management 
plans. The Commission will propose either the MSY point value or make use of the MSY 
range indicated by ICES where this is legally possible under a multiannual plan. Where 
the ICES recommends that no catches be taken from target stocks, the focus will be on 
rebuilding these with remedial measures under the multiannual plans. The proposals will 
also continue to look at ways of facilitating the effective implementation of the landing 
obligation. Work with all stakeholders continues in order to ensure that stocks covered by 
these plans get full MSY scientific evaluation as soon as possible. 

While  the  poor  status  of  some  stocks  is  also  the  result  of  other  anthropogenic  factors 
(such as climate change and pollution), which have to be addressed, fishing pressure on 
such  stocks  still  needs  to  be  limited.  The  Commission,  together  with  scientists,  is 
stepping  up  the  work  on  fisheries  ecosystems,  with  the  aspiration  of  integrating  those 
elements into fisheries management.  

The proposal for a fishing opportunities regulation for the Mediterraneaen and the Black 
Sea  will  set  out,  for  the  implementation  of  the  Western  Mediterranean  MAP  in  2021, 
further efforts to achieve reductions in light of the MAP’s objective of achieving Fmsy in 

14  Link  to  executive  summaries:  https://www.efca.europa.eu/en/content/pressroom/evaluation-suggests-

non-compliance-landing-obligations-certain-fisheries-north-sea. 

15 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation 
(EC) No 1224/2009, and amending Council Regulations (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 1967/2006, (EC) 
No 1005/2008, and Regulation (EU) No 2016/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council as 
regards fisheries control; COM/2018/368 final. 

16 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 (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22). 

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the area by 2025 at the latest on the basis of the scientific advice available. The proposal 
will  also  include  the  General  Fisheries  Commission  for  the  Mediterranean  (GFCM) 
measures already in  force, including the ones adopted in 2019, such as the multiannual 
plan for demersal stocks in the Adriatic, as well as the Adriatic emergency measures for 
small pelagic species, measures for eels and TACs for turbot in the Black Sea, as well as 
the autonomous quota for sprat in that basin17. 

3.2.  Key steps towards setting the next fishing opportunities  

The  basis  for  the  Commission's  proposals  for  fishing  opportunities  will  be  ICES 
scientific catch advice, issued in several parts. The ICES will publish its catch advice in 
May and June and update some of that advice after the autumn surveys at sea. The large 
pelagic stocks  receive advice in  September. The Commission  intends to cover as many 
stocks  as  possible  in  its  initial  proposals.  The  fishing  opportunities  proposals  will 
continue  to  contain  fishing  opportunities  in  pro  memoria  for  stocks  managed  with 
international partners, e.g. Norway, and where scientific advice arrives later in the year.  

The transition period set out in the EU-United Kingdom withdrawal agreement expires at 
the  end  of  2020,  unless  extended.  The  stocks  for  which  the  Commission  will  need  to 
consult with the UK, including with UK and Norway, on fishing opportunities for 2021 
will  also  be  presented  as  pro  memoria,  pending  the  timing  and  outcome  of  those 
consultations.  

Due to  the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery of scientific advice and the continuity in 
submitting  data  have  already  been  affected,  and  this  may  result  in  differences  in  the 
timing and form of the advice, compared to earlier years. 

The Commission invites Member States and stakeholders to consider the scientific advice 
as soon as it becomes publicly available18. Stakeholders will also have the opportunity to 
make  recommendations  on  fishing  opportunities  through  their  respective  advisory 
councils and Member States.    

Taking  into account  these consultations, the Commission aims to  adopt  four proposals: 
for the Baltic Sea (August), for the Mediterranean and Black Seas (September), for the 
deep  sea  stocks  in  the  northeast  Atlantic  (October)  and  for  the  Atlantic  and  North  Sea 
(October)19. They will be discussed in separate Council meetings – the October Council 
for the Baltic Sea, the November Council for the deep-sea stocks and the Mediterranean 
and Black Sea, the December Council for the Atlantic and North Sea proposal20. 

17 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 GFCM annual meeting is likely to be postponed until early 

2021, which might require amending the regulation later in 2021.  

18 ICES advice is available online at http://www.ices.dk/publications/library/Pages/default.aspx.  

19 The timing of the Commission proposals could be subject to changes due to unforeseen impacts of the 

COVID-19 pandemic on scientific advice.  

20  The  timing  of  the  Council  meetings  could  be  subject  to  changes  due  to  unforeseen  impacts  of  the 

COVID-19 pandemic on scientific advice. 

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3.3. 

Setting fishing opportunities for different sea basins  

Fishing  opportunities  for  EU-only  stocks  in  the  Baltic,  the  North  Sea  and  the  Western 
Waters will be based on the relevant MAPs, which define Fmsy ranges of mortality and 
therefore offer a degree of flexibility under specific conditions. ICES is requested to give 
advice  that  makes  it  possible  to  assess  the  need  for  and  possibility  of  using  this 
flexibility.  The  upper  range  of  Fmsy  values  can  be  used  to  propose  TACs  only  for 
healthy  stocks  and  only  if  scientific  advice  deems  it  necessary  to  achieve  the  MAP 
objectives in the case of mixed fisheries, in order to avoid serious harm to a stock caused 
by intra- or inter-species stock dynamics, or to limit high fluctuations between the years.  

In  the  context  of  the  full  implementation  of  the  landing  obligation,  the  Commission 
intends to propose the fishing opportunities for the Baltic, Western Waters and the North 
Sea  in  accordance  with  ICES  catch  advice,  while  deducting  the  de  minimis  or  high 
survivability allowances where appropriate.   

To continue facilitating full implementation of the landing obligation, it is important to 
use  all  mitigation  tools  available,  including  any  ICES  advice  on  the  mixed  fisheries 
approach  where  appropriate.  In  this  context,  Member  State  progress  with  by-catch 
reduction  measures  will  be  evaluated  by  the  Commission,  while  the  relevant  regional 
groups need to develop medium-term remedial measures for the vulnerable stocks. 

For  Fmsy-assessed  stocks  subject  to  consultations  with  non-EU  countries,  the 
Commission will aim for an agreement in line with the long-term management strategies 
or, in  the absence of such strategies, the  Fmsy advice. The  EU should also continue to 
seek solutions to avoid overfishing of the pelagic stocks in the northeast Atlantic due to 
the lack of sharing arrangements among coastal states.  

For stocks managed by regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs), including 
in  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Black  Sea,  the  Commission  will  propose  fishing 
opportunities based on the decisions of RFMOs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it can 
be expected that in 2020 the agenda of many RFMO meetings will be limited to the most 
essential  decisions  only,  due  to  the  difficulties  in  organising  meetings,  including 
meetings  of  the  scientific  committees  that  will  affect  the  scientific  advice  available  for 
fisheries managers.   

For the sustainable fisheries partnership agreements that the EU has with third countries, 
stocks are managed on the basis of specific scientific advice for mixed agreements. In the 
case  of 
tuna  agreements,  available  fishing  opportunities  and  practices  follow 
recommendations from RFMOs. 

Under  the  Western  Mediterranean  MAP,  for  2021  the  Council  shall  set  further  effort 
reduction  targets  based  on  scientific  advice,  against  the  background  of  the  MAP’s 
objective of achieving Fmsy by 2025 at the latest.  

The current disruption in fishing activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to 
an under-utilisation of fishing quotas in  many Member States. At the moment,  it is not 
yet  known  how  long  the  lockdown  period  will  last  and  by  how  much  quotas  will  be 
under-utilised.  This  can  differ  depending  on  the  stocks  targeted  and  on  the  fishing 
seasons.  The  Commission  will  very  carefully  monitor  progress  in  fishing  activity  and 
how  the  Member  States  use  the  ‘inter-annual  flexibility’  clause,  which  allows  them  to 
bank 10% of their unused 2020 quota and use it in 2021. Any further flexibility will be 

8 

 
assessed  in  the  light  of  the  existing  legal  framework  and  the  common  fisheries  policy 
objectives as confirmed on the basis of the best available scientific advice.. In any case, it 
remains the Member States’ responsibility to ensure that all catches are charged against 
the  available  quotas  and  that  the  documentation  of  all  fishing  trips  is  detailed  and 
accurate. 

4.  CONCLUSION  

Healthy  fish  stocks  continue  to  help  boost  the  economic  performance  of  the  EU  fleet, 
although the economic performance of the EU fleet in 2020 remains uncertain due to the 
combined effects of the COVID-19 health crisis. 

Bringing stocks to  sustainable levels, by managing them  at  maximum  sustainable  yield 
by  2020  and  beyond  and  eliminating  discards,  is  the  primary  objective  of  the  common 
fisheries  policy  and  remains  a  priority.  Achieving  this  objective  will  also  contribute  to 
achieving  good  environmental  status  in  European  seas  and  to  minimising  the  negative 
impact of fishing activities on marine ecosystems. It is equally important for the fisheries 
sector’s recovery. Despite significant improvements in the northeast Atlantic, challenges 
remain  in  all  sea  basins.  Some  stocks  remain  overfished  and/or  outside  safe  biological 
limits, and it is clear that more effort is needed in that respect. 

The  situation  in  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas  remains  a  cause  for  concern,  and 
further  concerted  efforts  are  required.  The  Commission  will  work  closely  with  all 
stakeholders to implement the Western Mediterranean MAP.  

Sustainable  fishing  and  more  selective  fishing  techniques  are  constituent  elements  of  a 
sustainable  food  system  that  offers  value  to  producers  and  consumers,  and  they  are 
essential  requirements  to  meet  if  we  want  to  protect  and  restore  biodiversity  in  our 
natural environment to the benefit of future generations. The Commission’s biodiversity 
strategy  and  farm-to-fork  strategy  highlight  the  need  for  sustainable  fisheries  and  lists 
concrete actions to be taken by the Commission to ensure that negative impacts of fishing 
activities on the marine ecosystem are minimised.  

Meeting the sustainability objective of the common fisheries policy and its goal to reduce 
wasteful  discards  are  part  of  that  endeavour.  Importantly,  sustainable  fisheries  are  the 
best way of protecting jobs and income in our fishing communities and helping them find 
a  way  out  of  the  present  crisis.  The  significant  achievements  of  the  common  fisheries 
policy during the past decade show the direction to pursue in the future. 

Member States, advisory councils, stakeholders and the public are invited to consider the 
policy  orientations  set  out  in  this  Communication  and  to  provide  feedback  to  the 
Commission by 31 August 2020. 

9 

 
 
 
PLANNED WORK SCHEDULE

21

22 

When 

What 

May/June/October  Stock advice from ICES 

June-end August 

Public consultation on the Communication 

End August 

Commission adoption of the fishing opportunities proposals for the 
Baltic Sea 

Mid-September 

Commission adoption of the fishing opportunities proposal for the 
Mediterranean and Black Seas 

October 

Council meeting on the fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea 

End October 

November  

Commission adoption of the fishing opportunities for the deep-sea 
stocks 

Commission adoption of the fishing opportunities proposal for the 
Atlantic/North Sea  

Council meeting on the fishing opportunities proposal for the deep 
sea stocks 

Council  meeting  on  the  fishing  opportunities  proposal  for  the 
Mediterranean and Black Seas23 

December 

Council  meeting  on  the  fishing  opportunities  proposal  for  the 
Atlantic/North Sea  

21 The timing of the Commission proposals might be subject to revisions due to unforeseen implications of 

the COVID-19 pandemic on the availability of scientific advice.  

22 For RFMO-managed stocks in EU waters and certain non-EU waters, fishing opportunities are adopted 
after the annual meeting of the RFMOs, through periodic revisions of the Council Regulation setting the 
fishing opportunities for certain fish  stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in EU waters and, for 
EU fishing vessels, in certain non-EU waters. 

23 As the timing of the GFCM Annual Meeting is uncertain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this date could 

also be subject to changes.  

10