COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Towards more sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2022
Date: 2021-06-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: catch of fish, catch quota, common fisheries policy, conservation of fish stocks, fishing fleet, fishing rights, illegal fishing, sustainable fisheries

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 9.6.2021  COM(2021) 279 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 2022 {SWD(2021) 122 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 2022 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

This Communication reports on the progress made towards sustainable fishing in the EU and 
reviews  the  balance  between  fishing  capacity  and  fishing  opportunities,  the  sector’s  socio-
economic performance and the landing obligation implementation. 

It  then  presents  the  main  orientations  that  will  shape  the  Commission’s  proposals  and 
consultations with third countries on fishing opportunities for 2022. 

2.  PROGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE FISHING 

In the north-east Atlantic, the fishing pressure decreased and fish stocks grew in 2003-2019. 
To ensure healthy fish stocks for future generations, the fishing mortality indicator ratio (used 
to measure the fishing activity sustainability) cannot be higher than 1, i.e. we catch no more 
fish  than  the  fish  stocks  can  reproduce  again  each  year.  In  the  early  2000s,  the  median 
indicator of fishing mortality was more than 1.7 times larger than MSY, but this has reduced 
and since 2011 stabilised below 1.2, getting close to 1 in 2019. 

For stocks managed only by the EU in the Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Skagerrak/Kattegat, 
good progress continued with the adoption of fishing opportunities for 2021. Total allowable 
catches (TACs) were set at maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for all fish stocks with MSY 
advice, except for Western Baltic herring. Here the EU implemented very stringent measures 
in  line  with  the  Baltic  multiannual  plan  (MAP)1.  For  two  TACs  previously  set  at  MSY 
(Southern hake in the North East Atlantic and salmon in the Baltic), the International Council 
for  the  Exploration  of  the  Sea  (ICES)  did  not  provide  MSY  advice,  so  these  stocks  are  not 
included in this year’s analysis. 
The  number  of  TACs  (12  out  of  21)  set  by  the  Council  in  line  with  ICES2  precautionary 
advice  also  increased  greatly.  And  additional  measures  for  Kattegat  cod,  Western  Baltic 
herring and Eastern Baltic cod3 were taken. 

1  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 (OJ L 191, 15.7.2016, p. 1). 

2 ‘ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort’, 2020. 

3 Regulation (EU) 2020/1781 of the  European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2020 amending 
Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 as regards fishing capacity reduction in the Baltic Sea, and Regulation (EU) No 
508/2014 as regards permanent cessation of fishing activities for fleets fishing for Eastern Baltic cod, Western 
Baltic cod and Western Baltic herring (OJ L 400, 30.11.2020, p. 1–6). 

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This  shows  that  the  EU  keeps  its  ambitions  on  sustainable  fishing  for  EU-only  managed 
stocks.  We  strive  to  achieve  the  same  high  standard  for  stocks  negotiated  with  third 
countries. 
For the shared stocks of mackerel  and Norwegian spring-spawning herring,  relevant  coastal 
states agreed on TAC levels following MSY advice. For blue whiting coastal states followed 
the long-term management strategy for TAC setting. For none of these TACs fishing within 
the agreed TAC levels is assured as no quota sharing arrangements are in place any longer for 
any of the three TACs. The EU will step up efforts to address the issue in the coastal states 
setting.  On  mackerel  and  herring,  the  EU  respects  the  former  share  under  the  latest  sharing 
arrangements. 

The EU, Norway and the UK agreed to set TACs for North Sea herring, plaice, whiting and 
saithe in line with the ICES MSY advice. For haddock, the TAC was set below ICES advice 
to limit the impact on cod which is depleted and taken in the same fishery. For cod, while the 
EU  sought  to  follow  ICES  advice,  in  the  context  of  the  overall  compromise  on  TAC 
consultations only  a TAC agreement  at  levels  (slightly) above the MSY  single point advice 
was  possible.  Parties  agreed  to  continue  with  additional  remedial  measures.  TACs  for  the 
Skagerrak broadly resemble those for the North Sea, and for shrimp and whiting the EU and 
Norway agreed to follow the ICES advice. 

The EU addressed a Note Verbale to Norway expressing its disagreement with the Arctic cod 
quota established by Norway which is below the traditional EU share for this stock, below the 
unilateral quota adopted by the EU and not mirrored for Norwegian / Russian vessels. The EU 
requested Norway to withdraw discriminatory provisions and expressed preparedness to take 
appropriate remedial countermeasures to secure its legitimate rights. 

With the UK’s departure from the EU, the number of TACs solely managed by the EU in the 
Atlantic,  Baltic  Sea  and  Skagerrak/Kattegat  shrank  drastically  to  only  35  TACs  (10  in  the 
Baltic, 4 in the Skagerrak/Kattegat and 21 in the Atlantic). 

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the UK was concluded in late 20204. This 
did not leave enough time for concluding EU-UK consultations on fish quotas for 2021. Also, 
consultations  between  the  UK,  Norway  and  the  EU  and  between  the  EU  and  Norway  were 
challenging and up until the moment of adoption of this policy  statement not yet concluded. 
Pending agreement on the shared stocks, provisional TACs, based on scientific advice, were 
set  for  the  period  to  31  March  2021.  These  were  subsequently  extended  to  31  July  20215, 
while  the  conclusions  of  other  consultations  (EU-UK-NO,  EU-NO,  coastal  states)  were  fed 

4 Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, 

of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part 
ST/5198/2021/INIT (OJ L 149, 30.4.2021, p. 10–2539). 

5 Council Regulation (EU) 2021/703 of 26 April 2021 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/91 and (EU) 2021/92 as 
regards certain fishing opportunities for 2021 in Union and non-Union waters ST/701/2021/INIT (OJ L 146, 
29.4.2021, P.1).  

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into the TAC Regulation for the whole year. For some stocks with specific circumstances (0-
TAC advice, mixed fisheries and choke situations (where the available quota for a species is 
exhausted (long) before those for other species caught together in a mixed fishery) scientific 
advice was followed to the extent and in accordance with the requirements of the applicable 
EU legislation6. Other exemptions to the approach relate to the fishery seasonality, mainly for 
pelagic stocks. Related remedial measures required under the MAPs (e.g. for cod and whiting 
stocks in the Celtic Sea) were also rolled over from 20207. 

In  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas,  the  fishing  mortality  indicator  ratio  dropped  to 
around  2.1.  Although  this  is  still  more  than  twice  above  sustainable  levels,  there  has  been 
slight  improvement.  Vigorous  conservation  efforts  need  to  continue,  notably  with  the 
implementation of the western Mediterranean (West Med) MAP8 and the MedFish4Ever9 and 
Sofia  Declarations10.  The  impact  of  management  measures  taken  in  2019  and  2020  will 
appear in next year’s data, as monitoring indicators cover the period to 2018. 

The adoption of the stand-alone 2021 Fishing Opportunities Regulation11 for these sea basins 
is  an  important  step  towards  sustainable  fisheries  management.  It  transposes  a  substantial 
package of measures adopted in 2018 and 2019 by the General Fisheries Commission for the 
Mediterranean (GFCM), and continues the West Med MAP implementation. 
The first 2 years’ implementation of the West Med MAP saw a cumulative 17.5% reduction 
in fishing effort, and further work to consolidate and develop closure areas securing reduced 
bycatch  of  juveniles  and  spawners,  ensure  better  gear  selectivity  and  collect  data  on 
recreational fisheries. The Commission targets further reduction of fishing efforts in line with 
scientific advice to reach MSY by 1 January 2025 at the latest. 

Intensive work under the GFCM, driven by the EU’s consistent position in regional fisheries 
management organisations (RFMOs) led to the adoption of the MAP for demersal fisheries in 
the  Adriatic12,  which  involved  a  12%  effort  reduction  for  otter  trawlers  and  a  16%  effort 
reduction for beam trawlers in the first 2 years. Management of Adriatic small pelagic stocks 
continued with a 15% decrease in catch over 3 years. Fleet capacity limits were introduced for 
demersal and small pelagic species and fishing capacity for deep-water shrimps was frozen in 
the  Levant  and  Ionian  Sea.  Harvest  limits  were  set  for  red  coral  and  implementation  of 

6 See footnote 6 

ST/7401/2021/INIT (OJ L 146, 29.4.2021, p. 1–69). 

7 Council Regulation (EU) 2021/92 of 28 January 2021 fixing for 2021 the fishing opportunities for certain fish 
stocks  and  groups  of  fish  stocks,  applicable  in  Union  waters  and,  for  Union  fishing  vessels,  in  certain  non-
Union waters (OJ L 31, 29.1.2021, p. 31‐ 192). 

8  Regulation  (EU)  2019/1022  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  20  June  2019  establishing  a 
multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea and amending 
Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 (OJ L 172, 26.6.2019, p. 1-17). 
9 Malta MEDFISH4EVER Ministerial Declaration (30 March 2017). 
10 Sofia Ministerial Declaration (7 June 2019). 
11 Council Regulation (EU) 2021/90 of 28 January 2021 fixing for 2021 the fishing opportunities for certain fish 
stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Mediterranean and Black Seas (OJ L 31, 29.1.2021, p. 1-19). 
12 Recommendation GFCM/43/2019/5 on a multiannual management plan for sustainable demersal fisheries in 

the Adriatic Sea (geographical subareas 17 and 18). 

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measures for European eel continued. For Black Sea species, TACs were set for turbot under 
the GFCM plan and an autonomous quota was set for sprat. 

In the north-east  Atlantic (EU waters only), the  biomass  has  generally increased since 2007 
and in 2019 was on average around 35% higher than in 200313 for fully assessed stocks. In the 
Mediterranean and Black Seas, biomass grew since 2015. 

3.  STATE OF THE EU FLEET 

The number of vessels in the EU fleet continued to decrease. The EU fleet register (outermost 
regions excluded) listed 70 756 vessels - a reduction of 0.4%. Overall, the capacity of the EU 
fleet in both gross tonnage and engine power remains below fishing capacity ceilings set by 
the CFP Regulation14 but the capacity of some national fleets, especially in the Mediterranean 
and Black Seas, is very close to the ceilings. The Commission will continue to monitor this 
situation  closely  considering  the  observation  of  a  small  increase  in  both  gross  tonnage  and 
engine  power  and  remaining  concerns  on  the  widespread  non-compliance  with  declared 
engine  power15.  The  analysis  of  the  balance  between  fishing  capacity  and  fishing 
opportunities  shows  that  in  all  sea  basins  a  significant  number  of  fleet  segments  are  still 
probably not in balance with the fishing opportunities. In 2018 for the entire EU fleet, of the 
182 fleet segments assessed, 145 were not in balance according to one of the key biological 
indicators  (the  sustainable  harvest  indicator).  For  the  segments  with  identified  structural 
overcapacity,  the  Commission  reminded  Member  States  of  their  obligations  to  establish  an 
action plan. 

As  regards  economic  performance,  the  COVID-19  outbreak  and  the  resulting  decline  in 
demand  and  disruptions  in  the  supply  chain  interrupted  the  positive  trends  seen  in  recent 
years.  Estimates  suggest  that  the  economic  performance  of  the  EU  fleets  declined  in  2020, 
with  falls of 17% in  landed value, 19% in  employment and 29% in  net  profits compared to 
2019. 

The Commission provided rapid support to the sector through amendments to the European 
Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to allow for compensations payments. 136 million in 22 
Member States were planned for Covid-19 support measures under EMFF. 61% of the funds 
was  spent  on  temporary  cessation  support,  17%  on  compensation  to  aquaculture  producers 
and 14% on support to the processing sector. Over 8 200 operations were selected, from the 
diversification of a marine plant farm into producing hand sanitiser to innovative fish delivery 

13 2003: reference year. 

14 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). 

15 Study on engine power verification by Member States: https://op.europa.eu/s/oQKG  

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services via vending machines and online tools. A temporary State aid framework and support 
from the European Regional Development Fund was also made available. 

Overall,  the  EU  fleet  remained  profitable  in  2020,  reporting  healthy  gross  and  net  profit 
margins of  around 26  % and 14  % respectively  or close to  €1.5 billion of  gross profits  and 
€800 million of net profits. This indicates a remarkable resilience, thanks to a combination of 
low  fuel  prices  and  the  sector’s  efforts  in  previous  years  to  achieve  MSY.  This  a  clear 
illustration  of  the  benefit  of  an  EU  blue  economy  driven  by  sustainability.  The  EU  fleet 
reached  levels  of  relative  profitability,  before  the  pandemic,  above  those  in  other  blue 
economy sectors such as coastal tourism. 

In  particular,  socio-economic  data  suggest  that  the  economic  performance  and  salaries  of 
EU  fishers  tend  to  improve  where  fleets  depend  on  stocks  that  are  caught  sustainably 
and tend to stagnate where stocks are overfished or overexploited. 

There are marked differences in performance across fleet categories and fishing regions. Fleet 
segments  operating  in  the  Atlantic  and  North  Sea  registered  higher  economic  performance 
than those in the Baltic and the Mediterranean, where numerous stocks still face overfishing 
or overexploitation issues. 

4.  LANDING OBLIGATION 

Control  and  enforcement  remain  challenging.  First  results  of  audits  launched  by  the 
Commission  in  2020  show  that  the  Member  States  for  which  audits  reports  have  been 
completed have not adopted the necessary measures to ensure control and enforcement of this 
obligation  and  show  significant  undocumented  discarding  of  catches  by  operators.  This  is 
corroborated  by  other  reports,  including  3  compliance  evaluations  by  European  Fisheries 
Control Agency (EFCA)16. The Commission is weighing possible options to follow up on the 
audits’ results. 

Remote electronic monitoring tools are the most effective and cost-efficient means to monitor 
the landing obligation. The Commission supported the use of such modern control tools in its 
proposal  for  a  revised  fisheries  control  system17  and  will  continue  working  with  the  co-
legislators to reach an agreement. 

Catch  data  collection  and  reporting  also  remain  key  for  the  quality  of  scientific  advice  and 
thus the achievement of the MSY objective. 

To guarantee a better compliance with the landing obligation in mixed fisheries, the Fishing 
Opportunities Regulation allows for introducing a quota-exchange pool to cover unavoidable 

16 See accompanying staff working document. 

17 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, 30.5.2018). 

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by-catches by Member States that have no quota18. Member States’ regional groups managed 
to implement this quota-exchange mechanism successfully. 

Detailed  arrangements  for  implementing  the  landing  obligation  have  to  be  specified  either 
under  MAPs  or,  in  their  absence,  in  temporary  discard  plans.  Most  of  these  discard  plans 
came to the end of their 6-year duration in 2020. These provisions are gradually shifting from 
discard plans to specifications adopted under the MAPs. Under both frameworks, a total of 7 
Delegated  Regulations  specifying  arrangements  for  implementing  the  landing  obligation 
were in place in 202019. 

The  Commission  welcomes  the  Member  States’  increased  focus  on  projects  on  improving 
selective fishing techniques to reduce and eliminate unwanted catches as far as possible. At 
the  end  of  2020,  Member  States  selected  4  110  operations  with  a  total  EMFF  funding  of 
€147.4  million  committed  for  the  landing  obligation  (compared  to  2  957  operations  and 
€116.6 million last year). Similar projects were also funded under Horizon 2020. However, as 
noted  by  the  Scientific,  Technical  and  Economic  Committee  for  Fisheries  (STECF), 
selectivity  has  still  not  improved  in  certain  fisheries.  The  uptake  of  more  selective  gears, 
while on the rise, remains slow and the move from trialling selective gears to  adoption into 
legislation  remains  a  lengthy  process.  Further  efforts  are  required  from  Member  States  to 
reduce unwanted catches, especially through improvement of selective fishing techniques, in 
line  with  the  EU  biodiversity  strategy  for  203020.  The  European  Maritime  Fisheries  and 
Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) can support such investments. 

5.  MAIN MESSAGES AND ORIENTATIONS FOR 2022 FISHING OPPORTUNITIES PROPOSALS 

5.1 Key steps towards setting the 2022 fishing opportunities 

The Commission will base its proposals on ICES scientific catch advice, published in May / 
June and partly updated after the autumn surveys at sea. Advice for large pelagic stocks will 
be issued in September and STECF scientific advice for the Mediterranean / Black Seas in the 
fall. The Commission will cover as many stocks as possible in its initial proposals. 

The Commission invites Member States and stakeholders to consider the scientific advice as 
soon  as  it  is  publicly  available.  Stakeholders  can  also  make  recommendations  through  the 
Advisory Councils and national authorities. 

For stocks managed with international partners and fishing opportunities on which scientific 
advice arrives later in the year, proposals will continue to include fishing opportunities in pro 
memoria. Opportunities for stocks managed with the UK and with UK and Norway will also 
be presented in this way, subject to timing and outcome of those consultations.  

18  Council  Regulation  (EU)  2020/123  of  27 January  2020  fixing  for  2020  the  fishing  opportunities  for  certain 
fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Union waters and, for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-
Union waters (OJ L 25, 30.1.2020, p.1). 

19 See list in the accompanying staff working document. 
20 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en  

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However, timing and form of the advice may be affected by the COVID pandemic impact on 
scientific advice delivery and continuity in data submission. 

The main novelty this year is that a large majority of  Atlantic and North Sea stocks will no 
longer be decided upon by the EU exclusively, following the TCA with the UK. 

Seeking  high  levels  of  alignment  with  international  partners  on  fishing  opportunities  and 
related  measures  with  high  sustainability  standards  will  be  key  to  ensure  sustainable 
exploitation of resources and pursue a level playing field for the EU industry given the strong 
interlinkages between fleets in the waters concerned. 

The TCA provides a strong basis for fish stocks sustainable management. The EU will seek to 
realise  that  ambition  in  consultations  on  fishing  opportunities  and  through  the  Specialised 
Committee on Fisheries established under the TCA. The TCA implementation will be guided 
by the EU positions in the Specialised Committee, among others in developing by 1 July 2021 
the guidelines to be followed when setting provisional TACs for ‘special stocks’, i.e. stocks 
for which ICES advises a zero TAC; stocks caught in a mixed fishery if that stock or another 
stock  in  the  same  fishery  is  vulnerable;  or  other  stocks  which  the  Parties  consider  require 
special treatment. 

Consultations  with  the  UK  and  Norway  will  take  place  between  September  and  November, 
aiming for a timely conclusion ahead of the December Council where the Commission hopes 
to  include  the  results  into  the  2022  TAC  Regulation.  Should  no  agreement  with  the  UK  be 
reached  by  20  December  2021,  the  TCA  provides  for  each  Party  to  set  provisional  TACs 
applying  from  1  January  at  the  level  advised  by  ICES,  with  TACs  for  special  stocks  set  in 
accordance with the guidelines to be adopted by the Specialised Committee on Fisheries by 1 
July 2021. 

The Commission aims to adopt 4 proposals for fishing opportunities in 2022, for discussion in 
separate Council meetings as detailed in the work schedule at the end of this Communication. 

5.2 Objectives of 2022 fishing opportunities 

For  stocks  in  the  Baltic  Sea,  Skagerrak/Kattegat  and  south-western  waters  where 
management remains an exclusive EU decision21, the Commission proposal will aim at further 
maintaining/reducing  fishing  mortality  in  line  with  MSY  for  MSY-assessed  stocks  and  to 
fully implement management plans that set MSY ranges of mortality. 

The Commission will propose to use either the MSY point value or the MSY range indicated 
by ICES provided that corresponding MAPs offer this degree of flexibility22. The upper range 
of  MSY  values  can  be  used  to  propose  TACs  for  healthy  stocks,  on  the  condition  that 
scientific  advice  deems  it  necessary  to  achieve  the  MAP  objectives  for  mixed  fisheries23. 
Another aim will be to  rebuild targets  stocks for  which  ICES  recommends no catches, with 

21  In  the  Baltic,  consultations  with  the  Russian  Federation  have  been  conclusive  on  the  quota  sharing  for  the 

stocks concerned, and the EU decided to take decisions unilaterally for a long period of years. 

22 ICES is requested to give advice making it possible to assess need for and possibility of using this flexibility. 
23 To avoid serious harm to a stock caused by intra- or inter-species stock dynamics or to limit wide fluctuations 

between years. 

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remedial  measures  under  the  MAPs.  Further  attention  will  be  devoted  to  getting  full  MSY 
scientific evaluation for these stocks as soon as possible. 

In the context of the landing obligation, the de minimis or high survivability allowances will 
be deducted from the STECF advice where appropriate. The Commission will also evaluate 
Member States’ progress in implementing current by-catch reduction measures. 

For  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas,  the  proposal  for  the  Fishing  Opportunities 
Regulation will aim at further implementing the West Med MAP, including further reductions 
to achieve MSY by January 2025 at the latest. It will cover GFCM measures extending those 
already in force24 and include additional measures adopted at the 44th GFCM annual session. 
The Adriatic will feature prominently in the 2022 fishing opportunities. 

For shared resources and stocks also exploited by third countries, the Commission will engage 
with  those  third  countries  on  behalf  of  the  EU  to  ensure  ambitious  sustainable  fish  quotas 
under relevant international instruments (TCA, EU-Norway Agreement of 198025, future EU-
UK-Norway Agreement26, UNCLOS). 

For stocks managed by RFMOs, the Commission will propose fishing opportunities based on 
RFMOs’  decisions.  Main  objectives  of  the  EU  participation  in  RFMOs  are  to  promote  fish 
stocks’  conservation  and  sustainable  management,  science-based  decisions  and  strengthen 
RFMO’s performance. 

Overall, while the poor status of some stocks is  also the result of other factors that must be 
addressed like climate change and pollution, fishing pressure still needs to decrease. Together 
with  scientists,  the  Commission  will  further  speed  up  work  on  the  ecosystem  effects  of 
fishing, to feed those factors into fisheries management. 

6.  CONCLUSION 

Fisheries  in  the  EU  grow  in  sustainability.  Healthy  stocks  further  contribute  to  the  sector’s 
socio-economic  performance,  which  stayed  profitable  despite  the  COVID-19  outbreak 
impacts. 

However,  EU  fisheries  resources  need  further  protection.  This  is  key  both  to  increase  food 
systems  sustainability  and  to  ensure  a  sustainable  revenues  source  for  EU  fishers.  Despite 
improvements in all sea basins, more efforts are needed, especially in the Mediterranean and 
Black  Sea  with  exploitation  rates  twice  as  high  as  sustainable  levels.  The  Commission  will 
also propose by end 2021 an Action Plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine 
ecosystems. 

24 Council Regulation (EU) 2021/90 of 28 January 2021 fixing for 2021 the fishing opportunities for certain fish 
stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Mediterranean and Black Seas (OJ L 31, 29.1.2021, p. 1-19). 
25  The  EU  and  Norway  engaged  in  preliminary  talks  on  a  new  fisheries  agreement,  based  on  the  COUNCIL 
DECISION of 26 February 2021 authorising the opening of negotiations  with the Kingdom of Norway for a 
new Agreement on fisheries between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway (not published). 

26 Based on the  Council Decision of 25 January 2021 authorising  the opening of  negotiations  with the United 
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and with the Kingdom of Norway for a fisheries agreement 
(not published) 

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With  the  departure  of  the  UK  from  the  EU,  a  large  majority  of  fishing  opportunities  in  the 
Atlantic  and  North  Sea  have  become  a  joint  responsibility  of  the  EU  with  the  UK,  Norway 
and  coastal  states.  This  will  involve  significant  changes  this  year  in  the  process  for  setting 
fishing  opportunities,  with  international  consultations  becoming  the  standard  for  a  large 
number  of  TACs.  Building  on  the  sustainability  ambitions  enshrined  in  the  TCA,  the 
Commission  will seek  to  continue  managing  sustainably  shared  resources  and  will  continue 
working  to  minimise  differences  in  management  regimes  that  would  affect  fishing 
opportunities and fleets’ operations. 

The  Commission  will  also  further  pursue  efforts  to  contribute  to  ambitious  sustainability 
targets in RFMO decision-making. 

We  invite  Member  States,  Advisory  Councils,  stakeholders  and  the  public  to  provide 
feedback on this Communication by 31 August 2021. 

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PLANNED WORK SCHEDULE 

When 

What 

May/June/October 

ICES stock advice 

June- August 

Public consultation 

1 July 

August 

Deadline  in  the  TCA  for  the  Specialised  Committee  on  Fisheries 
under the EU-UK TCA to agree guidelines for ‘special stocks’ 

Commission  adopts  the  fishing  opportunities  (FO)  proposal  for  the 
Baltic Sea 

September 

Commission adopts the FO proposal for Mediterranean / Black Seas 

October 

STECF stock assessment / effort advice  

Council meeting: FO for Baltic Sea 

Commission adopts the FO proposal for Atlantic/North Sea 

- 

Annual consultations on FO with UK, with UK and NO, with NO 

September 
December 

November 

GFCM annual session 

December 

Council  meeting:  FO 
Mediterranean/Black Seas 

for  Atlantic/North  Sea 

and 

for 

10