COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024
Date: 2023-06-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: Russia, Ukraine, catch of fish, catch quota, common fisheries policy, fishery management, fishing area, fishing rights, sustainable fisheries, territorial dispute

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 14.6.2023  COM(2023) 303 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024 {SWD(2023) 172 final}  
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2024 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

This Communication provides further details on the status of European fisheries monitored in 
2022. It also provides the Commission’s proposals and consultations with third countries on 
fishing opportunities (FOs) for 2024. The aim is to improve the resilience of fishers, boost the 
recovery  of  stocks  towards  the  maximum  sustainable  yield  (MSY),  and  maintain  healthy 
stocks at MSY level. 

Far  fewer  fish  stocks  are  now  overfished  and  fishers  are  seeing  socio-economic  gains 
from certain stocks that have been managed at healthier levels for some time. However, 
high fuel prices have undermined the gains made, demonstrating the need to build resilience 
making the EU fishing fleet less reliant on fossil fuels and conserve fish stocks. To tackle the 
key  challenges  and  improve  the  resilience  of  EU  fisheries,  the  Commission  launched  a 
comprehensive  and  constructive  cooperation  process  under  the  Fisheries  and  Oceans 
package1. It is crucial to continue this engagement and dialogue. 

Since February 2022, Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine has had an impact on EU 
fisheries  in  several  ways,  especially  in  the  Black  Sea.  It  has  led  to  ongoing  disruptions  of 
fishing  activities  and  trade  flows,  had  an  impact  on  scientific  advice  and  on  certain 
negotiations at international level. This shows the importance of boosting resilience to ensure 
food security in Europe, of meeting the Green Deal objectives2, and of taking further action 
on innovation and the energy transition, as highlighted by the Fisheries and Oceans package.  

2.  PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE FISHING IN THE EU 

Sustainable fishing means catching no more fish than stocks can reproduce each year. A stock 
is fished sustainably at MSY when the ratio between actual fishing mortality (F) and fishing 
mortality at MSY (FMSY) is below or equal to 13.  

Thanks to the investments made by fishers and national administrations and the commitment 
from  the  European  Parliament,  Council  and  Commission  to  manage  fisheries  responsibly, 
fishing has become more sustainable and far fewer stocks are now overfished in the EU.  

In  2003,  most  stocks  of  interest  to  the  EU  were  heavily  overfished  and  the  median  fishing 
mortality  in  the  Northeast  Atlantic  was  1.68  FMSY.  The  rate  has  since  fallen,  reaching  the 
lowest  value  in  2021  at  0.76.  In  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas,  the  median  mortality 

1   COM(2023) 100 final; COM(2023) 101 final; COM(2023) 102 final; and COM(2023) 103 final. 
2   COM/2019/640 final 
3   For  a detailed analysis of FMSY and  the  biomass state of  fish  stocks  in all sea basins,  see Section 1 of the 

accompanying staff working document. 

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rate fell  from  2.06 FMSY  in  2003  to  1.7 in  20204, and the situation  has  improved with  more 
stock assessments now available compared to the previous year. The fishing mortality rate has 
fallen  the  most  in  the  eastern  Mediterranean  followed  by  the  Black  Sea  and  the  western 
Mediterranean. There has been little change in the Central Mediterranean.  

Where the fishing mortality rate has fallen, the biomass of fish stock is increasing5. This helps 
improve  catches  and  the  profitability  of  fisheries  and  increases  their  carbon-efficiency  (in 
terms  of  kg  of  fish  caught  per  kg  of  carbon  emitted).  To  illustrate  the  value  of  sound 
management,  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  for  the  first  time  under  the  common  fisheries  policy6 
(CFP),  no  stocks  were  overfished  in  2021.  The  growth  of  fish  populations  in  that  area  has 
been remarkable, reaching more than three times the level of abundance recorded in 2003. 

Landing  declarations  and  sales  notes  are  essential  to  monitor  quota  uptake  and  report 
aggregated catch data. Accurate reporting is vital as it is the basis for sustainable fishing and 
for  reliable  scientific  data.  Nonetheless,  there  continue  to  be  problems  in  ensuring  that  all 
catches  are  recorded  properly  and  counted  against  the  quotas,  given  deficiencies  in  how 
Member  States  weigh  all  landed  fishery  products  and  accurately  record  them  in  catch 
registration  documents.  This  is  a  recurring  finding  in  evaluations  conducted  by  the 
Commission across several sea basins in the previous years. The Commission has followed up 
on  cases  of  non-compliance  by  opening  another  evaluation  cycle  in  2022  and  infringement 
procedures requiring Member States to adopt measures to report their catches accurately.  

On average, stocks in the Northeast Atlantic are now within the range consistent with the CFP 
objectives on fishing mortality rate. Though good progress has been made in 2022 towards the 
objectives  set  under  the  CFP,  more  progress  is  needed,  especially  in  the  Mediterranean  and 
Black Seas. 

2.1 Fishing opportunities in 2023 

The FOs are an important step in sustainable fisheries management. In the Atlantic, Baltic Sea 
and the Skagerrak/Kattegat, FOs are mainly defined as catch limits (known as total allowable 
catch (TACs)). 

The  dramatically  different  environmental  situation  in  the  Baltic  Sea  and  its  rivers 
continues to affect fish stocks and their development. There are various pressures in the Baltic 
Sea  today,  which  have  led  to  the  degradation  of  the  biodiversity.  Today,  these  pressures 
include high pollution from nutrient inputs and persistently high levels of contaminants. This, 
in  part,  stems  from  failure  to  implement  EU  legislation7.  Four  out  of  ten  fisheries  (western 

4   The 2021 value is not yet available as the GFCM assessments were carried out with data up to 2020. 
5  
(+18% overall, +39% in northeast Atlantic, +6% in Mediterranean and Black Seas since 2003). 
6   Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the 

Common Fisheries Policy. 

7  

In  particular  the  Nitrates  Directive,  the  Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment  Directive,  the  Marine  Strategy 
Framework  Directive,  the  Water  Framework  Directive,  the  Habitats  and  Birds  Directives,  the  Waste 
Framework  Directive,  the  Maritime  Spatial  Planning  Directive,  the  Single  Use  Plastic  Directive,  the 
Common Fisheries Policy Regulation, the Integrated Maritime Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. 

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herring, the two cod stocks and salmon in the main basin) are not targeted anymore and may 
only  be  landed  as  by-catch.  The  remaining  target  fisheries  are  the  other  pelagics  (sprat  and 
herring in the central Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Riga) and plaice,  with 
catch limits set in line with the MSY, and salmon in the Gulf of Bothnia and in the Gulf of 
Finland,  with  catch  limits  set  in  line  with  the  precautionary  approach.  The  Baltic  Sea 
multiannual plan8 (MAP) uses all tools, i.e. suspending target fisheries, setting TACs below 
maximum  advised levels, spawning closures  and  limiting recreational  fishing, to  help  ailing 
fish  stocks  recover.  But  unless  the  Member  States  fully  apply  and  implement  the  EU 
legislation, these tools will not suffice to enable all fish stocks to recover. A commitment was 
made in the Our Baltic Ministerial Declaration to implement EU law in full; it is vital to do 
so9.  

Action  to  overcome  the  challenges  related  to  pressures  from  pollution,  eutrophication  and 
climate change to the marine ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture starts with input from the 
scientific community. Science  enables policymakers to  take informed decisions and to  fully 
implement  the  ecosystem-based  approach  to  fisheries  and  aquaculture  management,  one  of 
the key principles of the common fisheries policy. 

The  Skagerrak/Atlantic  waters  have  lower  pressures  on  fish  stocks  and  different 
environmental conditions.  In these sea basins, the sustainable management  of 29 stocks has 
delivered positive results with major increases in TAC in key commercial fisheries for 2023.  

For stocks shared with the UK, both parties have agreed TACs, within the deadline set by 
the Trade and Cooperation Agreement10, in line with MSY for most stocks where advice was 
available. For seven stocks (where the advice was for zero catches), the parties agreed to set a 
low catch limit for six stocks, covering only bycatches to prevent choking in mixed fisheries 
in  line  with  the  CFP  Regulation11.  For  one  stock,  the  parties  agreed  to  monitor  the  TAC, 
following advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on the 
level  of  the  TAC12.  The  discussions  held  between  the  two  parties  in  the  framework  of  the 
Specialised  Committee  for  fisheries  were 
the  annual 
consultations and reaching a timing and satisfactory agreement13. 

in  streamlining 

instrumental 

8   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. 

9   https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2020-09/ministerial_declaration_our_baltic_conference.pdf 
10   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). 

11   Recital  (51)  of  Council  Regulation  (EU)  2023/194  of  30  January  2023  fixing  for  2023  the  fishing 
opportunities  for  certain  fish  stocks,  applicable  in  Union  waters  and,  for  Union  fishing  vessels,  in  certain 
non-Union waters, as well as fixing for 2023 and 2024 such fishing opportunities for certain deep-sea fish 
stocks 

12   Written Record of fisheries consultations between the United Kingdom and the European Union for 2023: 
https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-12/2023-eu-uk-fisheries-consultations_en.pdf. 
13   For  minutes  of  SCF  meetings,  see:  https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/relations-non-eu-
countries/relations-united-kingdom/eu-uk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement/meetings-eu-uk-partnership-
council-and-specialised-committees-under-trade-and-cooperation-agreement/specialised-committee-
fisheries_en. 

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Regarding stocks shared between the EU, Norway and the UK, the three parties agreed to 
set  the  TACs  in  line  with  MSY  advice.  For  the  continued  recovery  of  North  Sea  cod,  they 
rolled over the remedial measures and set the TAC for two stocks below the scientific advice 
due to their interaction with cod in mixed fisheries. The North Sea herring TACs were set in 
line with scientific advice, and parties agreed to continue catch limits to mitigate the impact 
on the depleted Western Baltic herring stock. The parties agreed to revise, in 2023, the current 
management  model  and  the  approach  to  setting  TAC  for  North  Sea  herring14.  The  only 
assessed  stock  shared  bilaterally  with  Norway  was  set  at  MSY  level15.  In  this  context, 
diverging  from  existing  sharing  arrangements  for  jointly  managed  stocks  could  have  a 
negative impact on their status and jeopardise the objective of setting TACs at MSY levels. 

For the widely distributed stocks16 of mackerel, blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring, 
the  coastal  states17  agreed  to  set  overall  TACs  at  MSY  level.  However,  in  the  absence  of 
sharing arrangements, the sum  of quotas from  coastal  states  continues  to  exceed the overall 
TAC agreed. The EU took a responsible approach of no unilateral increases beyond the last 
agreed  shares,  which  was  not  followed  by  all  coastal  states.  This  situation  already  puts 
pressure on the sustainability of these stocks. The Commission is in  active discussions with 
other coastal states with the aim of concluding new sharing arrangements on sustainable stock 
management. 

The  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas  are  home  to  multispecies  fisheries  with  many  stocks 
shared with third countries. The fishing mortality rate has approached the sustainable level for 
some stocks, with seven having reached FMSY in 2020, but many stocks are still fished above 
sustainable levels. Action must continue to reduce fishing effort and reach the MSY objective, 
in  particular  by  applying  the  Western  Mediterranean  MAP18  (West  Med)  and  the  2030 
Strategy of the General Fisheries Council of the Mediterranean (GFCM)19. FOs for 2023 are 
in line with a substantial set of measures adopted in 2022. 

To  achieve  the  MSY  objective  by  2025  under  the  West  Med  MAP,  the  FOs20  take  an 
integrated  approach,  building  on  management  tools  and  developing  the  compensation 
mechanism that encourages the use of more selective gear and closure areas. Member States 

14   Record of fisheries consultation between the European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom for 2023: 

https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-12/2023-eu-no-uk-fisheries-
consultations_en.pdf. 

15   Record of conclusion of fisheries consultation between Norway and the European Union on the regulation of 
fisheries  in  Skagerrak  and  Kattegat  for  2023:  https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-
03/2023-eu-norway-skagerrak-fisheries-consultations_en.pdf. 

16   https://www.ices.dk/community/groups/pages/wgwide.aspx  Working  Group  on  Widely  Distributed  Stocks 
(WGWIDE)  compiles  and  analyses  data  on  large  stocks  of  pelagic  species,  as  well  as  other  widely 
distributed and highly migratory species. 

17   Coastal  states  in  the  Northeast  Atlantic  for  the  relevant  stocks  are  the  European  Union,  United  Kingdom, 

Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Russian Federation. 

18   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. 

19   GFCM  2030  Strategy  for  sustainable  fisheries  and  aquaculture  in  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Black  Sea. 

https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb7562en. 

20   Council Regulation (EU) 2023/195 of 30 January 2023 fixing for 2023 the fishing opportunities for certain 

stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. 

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are encouraged to continue taking measures under this mechanism. The Council has also set 
maximum catch limits for the most overfished deep-water shrimp and maintained ceilings to 
fishing effort for long liners. 

Intensive  work  under  the  GFCM,  supported  by  the  EU’s  consistent  position  in  regional 
fishery management organisations (RFMOs), has led to the adoption of significant decisions. 
Above  all,  it  has  led  to  five  multiannual  management  plans,  based  on  the  principles  of  the 
common  fisheries  policy.  This  has  led  to  the  adoption  of  maximum  catch  limits  for  deep-
water shrimp  in  the Ionian Sea,  Levant  Sea and the Strait of Sicily (including arrangements 
for hake) and maximum level of catches for blackspot seabream in the Alboran Sea. A GFCM 
long-term  management  plan  for  small  pelagics  in  the  Adriatic  was  agreed  to  provide  high 
long-term yields consistent with MSY, lower catch limits in 2023 for anchovies and sardines, 
and  a  freeze  of  capacity  for  pelagic  trawlers  and  purse  seiners.  The  GFCM  also  continued 
implementing  the  multiannual  plan  for  demersal  stocks  in  the  Adriatic,  setting  a  maximum 
fishing effort limit for both bottom and beam trawlers, to achieve the MSY target in 2026 for 
all key stocks. It adopted harvest limits for red coral and a cap on fishing effort for common 
dolphinfish in international waters of the Mediterranean. For the Black Sea, TAC was set for 
turbot under the GFCM plan, and a Union autonomous quota set for sprat. 

The EU also agreed on ambitious measures for marine fisheries on European eel21 including 
extending  of  the  closure  at  sea  from  three  to  six  months  to  coincide  with  the  juvenile  eel 
migration  and  mature  eels  swimming  between  the  sea  and  rivers.  These  measures  will  be 
subject to an increased monitoring of their implementation during 2023. The Commission will 
closely  monitor  progress  in  implementing  the  measures  in  the  joint  declaration  on 
strengthening  the  recovery  for  European  eel,  signed  by  the  Commission  and  some  Member 
States.  

3.  STATE OF THE EU FLEET 

Member  States  must  keep  fleets  under  the  national  ceilings  set  for  vessel  capacity  (gross 
tonnage (GT)) and engine power (kW). They must reduce the capacity of fleets that are not in 
balance  by  reporting  yearly  on  the  biological  and  economic  sustainability  of  fleets.  Where 
there is evidence of an imbalance, they must present action plans to redress this within a clear 
timeframe. Any capacity withdrawn with public aid may not be replaced. 

Since 2022, the number of vessels, GT and engine power has fallen by 0.3%, 0.7% and 0.5%, 
respectively.  As  a  result,  in  December  2022,  the  EU  registered  fleet22  comprised  72 472 
vessels of 1 321 454 GT and 5 264 658 kW. 

Member States indicate in their 2022 reports that their fleets are below the ceilings and meet 
the requirements under  Article 22 of the CFP Regulation. However, concerns  remain on the 
accuracy  and  reliability  of  the  data  underpinning  the  national  reports  and  the  existence  or 

21   Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2023/195. 
22   Including fleet active in the outermost regions. 

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accuracy of Member States action plans. In the CFP Communication23, the Commission calls 
on  Member  States  to  increase  the  transparency  and  flexibility  of  their  fishing  capacity 
management, and facilitate possible reallocation of unused capacity for structural investment 
on board.  

4.  SOCIO-ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE 

Energy is one of the major cost items in the EU fishing fleet. The peak in fuel prices24 had a 
high impact on the socio-economic performance of the EU fishing fleet in 2022. This impact 
follows the earlier interruption due to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 on positive economic 
performance trends; and the market disruption caused by Russia’s military aggression against 
Ukraine. It is estimated that for the entire EU fishing fleet, a 10 eurocent increase in the price 
of fuel reduces annual gross profit by €185 million (or 16% of 2020 annual gross profit). In 
several fleet segments using fuel-intensive gear, energy costs may represent up to half of the 
total value of landings. 

As a result, the EU fishing fleet made an overall loss for the first time since 2008. However, 
after  fuel  prices  peaked  at  €1.2 per litre in  summer of 2022, prices have  gradually  fallen  to 
€0.8-0.9 per litre in the first quarter of 2023. It is expected that, at current fuel prices, the EU 
fishing fleet can produce a gross value added of around EUR 2.5 billion, a gross profit close 
to  €300  million,  cover  their  operational  costs  and  maintain  jobs  and  salaries  for  125 000 
fishers in 2023. This is a significant improvement compared to 2022, when most EU fishing 
fleets were unable to cover their operational costs. However, current fuel prices, which remain 
70% higher than 2021 prices, would generate very small to no net profit on average in 2023. 

The impact of this performance is not even across all fleet segments. Broadly speaking, fleet 
segments  that  depend  on  stocks  exploited  sustainably  and  that  increased  their  energy 
efficiency (or reduced their fuel intensity) tend to perform better and generate higher salaries 
for  their  crews  despite  the  current  adverse  economic  conditions.  This  illustrates  the 
important socio-economic gains in stock conservation and energy efficiency made by EU 
fishing fleets.  

The  EU  fishing  fleet  is  expected  to  cover  its  operational  costs  and  maintain  employment  in 
2023 but it will remain financially vulnerable. This vulnerability is a result of the high level of 
energy intensity and dependence on fossil fuels.  The Energy Transition Initiative25 proposes 
several measures to help the sector accelerate its energy transition and reach the objective of 
climate neutrality by 2050. It includes actions to guide Member States on how to best use the 
funding available under the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund26 (EMFAF) 
to support achieving the energy transition. 

23   COM/2023/103 final. 
24   More than double in 2022 compared to average prices in 2021. 
25   Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and 
Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  the  Energy  Transition  of  the  EU  fisheries  and 
Aquaculture, COM(2023) 100 final. 

26   Regulation (EU) 2021/1139. 

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To mitigate immediate consequences for the EU in 2022 resulting from the Russia’s military 
aggression against Ukraine, the Commission took swift action in 2022 to trigger the European 
Maritime  and  Fisheries  Fund27  (EMFF)  and  the  EMFAF  to  implement  crisis  support 
measures28.  For  the  EMFF,  14  Member  States  have  advanced  with  modifications  of  their 
operational programmes to unlock this support. The support can be combined with other crisis 
packages, in particular the Temporary Crisis Framework on State aid measures29, with up to 
€300 000 available for companies in the fisheries and aquaculture sector until the end of 2023.  

5.  LANDING OBLIGATION 

Research projects and cooperation between all stakeholders  have  generated valuable lessons 
on  discard  management  under  the  landing  obligation  rules  and  on  cooperation  with 
stakeholders. They have increased knowledge of the (mitigation) tools, of the catch situation 
in  different  fisheries  and  sea  basins  and  of  how  to  avoid  unwanted  catches  by  using  more 
selective  fishing  gear  or  techniques,  taking  area-  or  time-specific  measures,  or  real-time 
closures.  

The  EMFF  and  the  EMFAF  (offering  a  high  rate  of  public  aid)  provide  support  to 
implement  the  landing  obligation.  At  the  end  of  202230,  Member  States  had  selected  5  160 
operations with a total EMFF funding of €180.7 million for the landing obligation (up from 4 
762 operations and €169.2 million the previous year). Most operations aimed to increase the 
added  value  or  quality  of  unwanted  catches31,  reduce  the  impact  of  fishing  on  the  marine 
environment and eliminate discards32.  

Nevertheless,  Member  State  action  to  monitor  and  enforce  the  landing  obligation 
remains  insufficient.  The  main  risks  associated  with  the  landing  obligation,  such  as  illegal 
and  undocumented  discards  of  catches  during  fishing  at  sea,  are  not  mitigated  sufficiently. 
There  is  a  need  to  prevent  and  deter  current  incentives  for  non-compliance33  by  monitoring 
and enforcement. The CFP Regulation recognises the difficulty in implementing the landing 
obligation in mixed fisheries where more than one species is present, where different species 
are likely to be caught in the same fishing operation, and where tools such as quota swaps are 
available. 

Currently,  Member  States  mostly  use  traditional  monitoring  techniques34,  which  are 
insufficient35. The Parliament and Council have recently agreed on a revised fisheries control 

27   Regulation (EU) No 508/2014. 
28   Regulation (EU) 2022/1278 and Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/500. 
29   Communication from the Commission Temporary Crisis Framework for State  aid measures to support the 

economy following the aggression against Ukraine by Russia 2022/C 131 I/01. 

30   EMFF implementation report 2022, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries publication will 

follow. 

31   Article 42 of the EMFF Regulation. 
32   Article 38 and 39 of the EMFF Regulation. 
33   These include illegal and undocumented discarding to avoid ʻchokeʼ situations, to maximise profit (ʻhigh-

gradingʼ) and to reduce the costs of handling and storing low-value catches. 

34   Such as inspections at sea, inspections at landing, data analysis and aerial surveillance. 

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system  upon  a  Commission  proposal,  notably  to  mandate  the  use  of  remote  electronic 
monitoring  (REM)  tools.  The  European  Fisheries  Control  Agency  assists  Member  States  in 
preparing  REM  operational  plans  for  pilot  projects  at  regional  and  national  level,  and  to 
identify the best possible strategies to monitor compliance. 

Weak  compliance,  undocumented  discarding  and  misreporting  of  catches  undermines  the 
accuracy  of  catch-  data  (landings,  unwanted  catches,  and  discards)  and  reporting,  which 
underpin  the  quality  of  scientific  advice.  The  Member  States  and  the  Commission  work  in 
2023  with  the  Scientific,  Technical  and  Economic  Committee  for Fisheries  (STECF)  to 
review  the  exemptions  to  the  landing  obligation  to  improve  data.  The  Commission  also 
conducted a study through CINEA36 monitoring the implementation of the landing obligation 
for fisheries of Member States for the Baltic Sea, North Sea and Atlantic Western Waters. It is 
essential  to  improve  monitoring  and  enforcement  to  ensure  catch  data  is  accurate  as  the 
scientists  use  the  data  reported  in  logbooks  and  collected  under  the  Data  Collection 
Framework37  to  underpin  scientific  advice.  As  highlighted  in  the  Communication  on  the 
CFP38, data accuracy is essential to the evaluations that help the Commission decide whether 
EU action should be continued or adjusted.  

6.  MAIN MESSAGES AND ORIENTATIONS FOR 2024 FISHING OPPORTUNITIES PROPOSALS 

6.1. Key stages to setting the next fishing opportunities 

The Commission will base its 2024 proposals  for FOs on the scientific advice issued by the 
ICES  and  STECF,  including  ecosystem  considerations,  on  the  decisions  taken  during 
international negotiations with third countries, on decisions taken by the RFMOs in 2023 and 
on a socio-economic analysis. 

The  Commission  will  cover  as  many  stocks  as  possible  in  its  initial  proposals  taken  into 
account the necessary timely delivery of the scientific advice. 

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

The Commission will conduct various consultations with the UK, Norway and other coastal 
states starting in October, with the aim of concluding in time to process the outcome into the 
December Council.  

35   Several Member States have agreed to participate in an EFCA-coordinated REM pilot project to learn best 
practice on REM controls (one or two vessels per Member State). Denmark uses REM in the nephrops fleet 
operating in the Kattegat and the Netherlands is conducting a fully documented fisheries scheme on a  few 
vessels in the North Sea. Neither project is being used for control and enforcement purposes. 
36   https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/89868cc6-015f-11ec-8f47-01aa75ed71a1 
37   Regulation (EU) 2017/1004. 
38   Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, The common fisheries 
policy today and tomorrow: a Fisheries and Oceans Pact towards sustainable, science-based, innovative and 
inclusive fisheries management, COM/2023/103 final. 

8 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                     
As well as setting FOs, the Commission will work throughout the year to achieve progress on 
sharing  arrangements  for  widely  distributed  stocks  with  third  countries  that  lack  such 
arrangements, to ensure shared stocks are fished in a sustainable manner. 

6.2. Setting fishing opportunities for different sea basins 

For  stocks  managed  only  by  the  EU  in  the  Baltic  Sea,  Skagerrak/Kattegat  and  the 
Atlantic,  the  Commission  will  propose  quotas  in  line  with  the  MSY  when  this  advice  is 
available.  Where  management  plans  provide  flexibility  to  set  catch  limits,  the  Commission 
may  propose  using  the  upper  range  of  MSY  for  healthy  stocks,  provided  that  the  scientific 
advice considers it necessary to achieve the objectives under the MAPs especially for mixed 
fisheries.  For  stocks  where  the  scientific  advice  is  zero  catch  or  where  the  biomass  has 
decreased  so  much  that  they  are  below  a  safe  limit,  the  Commission  will  propose  remedial 
measures  as  outlined  in  each  multiannual  plan  to  rebuild  the  stocks.  It  will  focus  action  on 
getting full MSY scientific evaluation for other key stocks as soon as possible.  

For the landing obligation, it will deduct the de minimis or high survivability exemptions from 
the  ICES  advice  where  appropriate.  The  Commission  will  also  evaluate  Member  States’ 
progress  in  implementing  the  current  by-catch  reduction  measures  that  are  accompanying 
unavoidable by-catch only TACs adopted to alleviate potential choke situations. 

The  Commission  plans  to  move,  where  possible,  to  a  system  of  multiannual  TACs  for  EU-
only stocks. This will increase efficiency and predictability for the EU fishing businesses for 
stocks  selected  in  close  consultation  with  Member  States,  stakeholders  and  ICES.  Member 
States are asked to list priority stocks for which they recommend 2-year TACs. Following an 
assessment, the Commission will ask ICES to assess the stocks identified:  

(i)  against the ICES multiannual advice criteria;  
(ii) in terms of multiannual advice feasibility; and  
(iii) in terms of the possible implications of such multiannual advice. 

For  shared  stocks  managed  with  the  UK,  Norway  and  other  coastal  states,  the  EU  will 
continue  to  base  its  position  on  the  best  available  scientific  advice,  with  the  objective  of 
setting  FOs in  line with MSY. The  EU will follow up on joint EU-UK commitments in the 
Specialised  Committee  on  Fisheries,  with  the  aim  of  achieving  sustainable  fishing  and 
management  of  shared  stocks.  It  will  follow  up  on  similar  commitments  in  the  trilateral 
framework  (EU,  UK,  Norway),  and  in  seeking  sustainable  and  comprehensive  sharing 
arrangements  for  coastal  state  stocks.  This  work  is  part  of  the  external  dimension  of  the 
common fisheries policy and covers some 70% of all TACs set in the Northeast Atlantic. The 
Commission will endeavour to improve cooperation and the climate of these consultations. 

For the Mediterranean and Black Seas, it is essential that Member States continue to pursue 
the  objectives  of  the  West  Med  MAP  and  of  the  GFCM  under  the  2030  Strategy.  The 
Commission  encourages  Member  States  to  implement  accompanying  measures  under  the 
EMFAF  programmes.  As  this  is  the  final  year  of  the  transitional  period  of  the  MAP,  the 
proposal for FOs will aim for full implementation to achieve MSY by 1 January 2025 at the 
latest for all stocks, following a holistic approach. In particular it should include the available 

9 

 
 
 
management  tools  and  the  compensation  mechanism  to  improve  gear  selectivity  and  area 
closures.  STECF evaluates implementation of the  MAP annually. The Commission  has  also 
launched work on each  aspect of sustainability  with a view to reporting in July 2024 on the 
results and impact of the plan on the stocks and the fisheries concerned. 

Shared stock management is also necessary to ensure sustainability in international waters and 
to secure a level playing field in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. To this end, the proposal 
for  FOs  in  2024  will  cover  measures  stemming  from  GFCM  measures  already  in  force  and 
additional  measures  to  be  adopted  at  the  November  GFCM  annual  session.  For  Black  Sea 
species, the Commission will propose TACs and quotas for turbot in line with the measures to 
be adopted at the annual session, and for sprat.  

The progress made in the Mediterranean and Black Seas must continue and accelerate in the 
GFCM high-level conference in Malta in 3-4 October 2023. All Member States must continue 
action to achieve the sustainability of stocks as this is the basis for a resilient fishing sector, 
and for protecting the ecosystems in this sea basins. 

Given  the  need  to  improve  protection  of  European  eel,  in  addition  to  closely  monitoring 
implementation of the 2023 FOs and assessing the measures for 2024 for marine waters, the 
Commission  calls  on  Member  States  to  improve  their  eel  management  plans  under  the  Eel 
Regulation, in line with their environmental obligations39. It is important to step up measures 
in  inland  waters  to  create  a  level  playing  field  as  the  eel  mortality  rate  in  inland  waters  is 
significant and needs urgent remedial action. The GFCM is currently working on future long-
term management plans, notably for European eel and common dolphinfish for which current 
measures are ending 2023. 

7.  CONCLUSION 

The  sustainability  of  EU  fisheries  improved  in  2022.  But  the  situation  in  the  Baltic  Sea 
remains challenging,  where some previously important  commercial stocks are declining  due 
to  various  pressures.  Climate  change  affects  human  activities,  the  intensity  of  the  pressures 
and  some  aspects  of  state,  as  well  as  the  links  between  these.  More  action  and  greater 
commitment is required to tackle the situation in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.  

The  Commission  proposals  for  FO  2024  will  seek  to  enable  stocks  to  recover  and  to 
consolidate the fish stocks that have reached sustainable levels. This will boost the resilience 
of  fishers.  Further  implementation  by  Member  States  of  the  EU  legislation  is  important  as 
well as the continued effort by the Commission on actions to address the other pressures on 
fish  stocks.  The  EU  is  fighting  marine  pollution through  a  number  of  legislative  and  policy 
initiatives under the broader framework of the zero pollution action plan40. 

39   COM(2023) 102. 
40   These include setting limits to marine litter, underwater noise, nutrients and contaminants under the MSFD 

and implementing measures to achieve them. COM/2021/400 final  

10 

 
 
                                                           
As stated in the Fisheries and Oceans package, we now need to see a greater commitment to 
make our marine areas and European fisheries fit for the future. A thriving fisheries sector is 
key  to  preserving  European  coastal  communities  and  to  managing  the  transition  to  more 
sustainable food systems. 

The  Commission  invites  Member  States,  Advisory  Councils,  stakeholders  and  the  public  to 
provide feedback on this Communication by 31 August 2023. 

11 

 
 
 
 
PLANNED WORK SCHEDULE41 

When 

What 

May-November 2023 

ICES scientific advice 

June-end August 2023  Public consultation on the Communication 

End August 2023 

Commission adopts the proposal for FOs in the Baltic Sea 

October  -  December 
2023 

Annual  consultations  on  FOs  with  the  UK,  with  the  UK  and 
Norway, and with Norway 

Mid-September 2023  Commission adopts the proposal for FOs in the Mediterranean and 

Black Seas 

October 2023 

Council meeting on FOs for the Baltic Sea 

Coastal  states  consultations  on  widely  distributed  stocks  in  the 
north-east Atlantic 

End October 2023 

Commission adopts the proposal for FOs in the Atlantic/North Sea  

7-11 November 2023  GFCM annual session  

1 December 2023 

STECF stock assessment and management advice 

December 2023 

Council meeting on FOs in the Atlantic/North Sea 

Council meeting on FOs in for the Mediterranean and Black Seas 

41 For RFMO-managed stocks in EU waters and certain non-EU waters, fishing opportunities are adopted after 

the annual meeting of the RFMOs by revising the Council regulation setting the fishing opportunities. 

12