COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2025
Date: 2024-06-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: catch of fish, catch quota, common fisheries policy, exploitation of resources, fishery management, fishing area, fishing fleet, fishing rights, sea fishing, sustainable fisheries

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 7.6.2024  COM(2024) 235 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2025 {SWD(2024) 139 final}  
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2025 

1.  INTRODUCTION 

This  Communication  provides  information  on  the  status  of  European  fisheries  monitored  in 
2023.  It  also  provides  orientations  for  the  Commission’s  proposals  and  consultations  with 
third  countries  on  fishing  opportunities  for  2025.  The  aim  is  to  improve  the  resilience  of 
fishers,  boost  the  recovery  of  fish  stocks  towards  the  maximum  sustainable  yield  (MSY) 
levels, and maintain healthy stocks at MSY level. 

Far  fewer  fish  stocks  are  now  overfished  compared  to  2003.  Fishers  are  seeing  socio-
economic  gains  from  the  stocks  that  have  been  managed  at  healthier  levels  for  some 
time. Energy remains one of the major costs in the EU fishing fleet during 2023-2024 despite 
the  reduction  in  fuel  prices  continuing  to  undermine  the  gains  made.  The  ongoing  actions1 
proposed by the Commission to support the energy transition of the fisheries and aquaculture 
sector are thus essential to strengthen its socio-economic resilience by supporting the sector in 
reducing its dependency on fossil fuel use. 

The key challenges in EU fisheries and aquaculture, the actions proposed to tackle them, and 
the needs to improve the resilience of EU fisheries were outlined in the Fisheries and Oceans 
package2, followed by an intensive dialogue with and input from stakeholders. It is now time 
to  look  beyond  these  immediate  challenges  and  needs  and  to  take  a  wider  perspective,  to 
assess the situation within EU fisheries and aquaculture on the basis of the available evidence, 
and Member States and stakeholders’ views. Based on the feedback received on the package 
and  the  obstacles  identified  by  various  stakeholders  for  the  smooth  transition  to  the  energy 
efficiency  in  the  sector  and  for  the  successful  implementation  of  all  CFP  elements,  the 
Commission is launching a full evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation (‘CFP 
Regulation’)3.  

This  evaluation  will  look  back  at  10  years  of  (2014-2024)  of  implementing  the  CFP 
Regulation.  It  will  look  at  developments  in  fisheries,  aquaculture,  environment,  trade, 
enlargement, health, animal welfare and research policies, the recent political developments, 
the  changing  geopolitical  context  and  the  impacts  on  the  EU’s  fisheries  policy.  It  will  also 
cover  the  reshaped  dynamic  of  fishing  relations  in  the  external  dimension  of  the  common 
fisheries  policy  (CFP),  including  the  UK’s  withdrawal  from  the  EU  and  relations  with  and 

1 COM(2023) 100 final 
2 COM(2023) 100 final; COM(2023) 101 final; COM(2023) 102 final; COM(2023) 103 final. 
3 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. 

1 

 
 
 
between coastal states in the North-East Atlantic. This is essential to provide a comprehensive 
view of how the Regulation and instruments are performing and to prepare the ground for the 
years ahead. 

2.  PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE FISHING IN THE EU 

A stock is fished sustainably at its MSY when the ratio between actual fishing mortality (F) 
and fishing mortality at MSY (FMSY) is below or equal to one4. Thanks to the action taken 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 overfished in the EU.  

The  EU  mission  Restore  our  Ocean  and  Waters5  by  2030  contributes  to  a  wide  range  of 
solutions  to  protect  and  restore  marine  and  freshwater  ecosystems  and  their  biodiversity,  to 
tackle  pollution  and  to  support  sustainable  fishing.  It  therefore  also  contributes  to 
implementation of the EU’s marine action plan6.  

Each year, the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) updates 
the  information  available  on  the  levels  of  fish  stocks  against  the  objectives  of  the  common 
fisheries  policy.  In  2003,  average  fishing  mortality  in  the  North-East  Atlantic7  was  53% 
above the FMSY target. The latest assessment shows that the mortality rate has progressively 
fallen  to  reach  42%  below  the  FMSY  in  2022.  Within  this  average  figure  there  are  wide 
variations.  25  stocks  are  still  fished  above  the  FMSY  while  58  are  fished  within  that  value. 
Fishing mortality rates have fallen steeply in all areas, reaching to the lowest levels in the Bay 
of Biscay and Iberian coastal areas and for widely distributed stocks (e.g. mackerel, blue 
whiting,  horse  mackerel  and  herring).  In  the  North  Sea,  the  average  mortality  rate  is  still 
higher than in other areas. 

In the Mediterranean and Black Seas, the median F/FMSY peaked at 1.90 in 2007, it levelled 
at 1.87 between 2008-2011 and has decreased since then. Over the last three years, the F/FMSY 
fell from 1.59 to 1.20 in 2022 reaching the lowest level since 2003. This trend is consistent in 
all sub-regions. However, fishing pressure in the Mediterranean and Black Seas is still  20% 
above the median level considered sustainable.  

On  average,  stocks  in  the  North  East  Atlantic  are  now  within  the  range  consistent  with  the 
policy objectives on fishing mortality rate. Though good progress on reaching sustainability 
has been made in 2023, more progress is needed, especially in the Mediterranean and Black 
Seas. 

The scientific community is actively studying extent to which factors other than fisheries such 
as ocean warming, acidification, pollution and deoxygenation of the seas may have lowered 
fisheries productivity, although knowledge gaps remain. What is known with some certainty, 

4  For  a  detailed  analysis  of  FMSY  and  the  biomass  state  of  fish  stocks  in  all  sea  basins,  see  Section  1  of  the 

5 

accompanying staff working document. 
https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-
calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-our-ocean-and-waters_en 

6 COM(2023) 102 final 
7  In  this  section,  ‘North-East  Atlantic’  refers  to  stocks  in  area  27  of  the  Food  and  Agriculture  Organisation 

(FAO). 

2 

 
 
 
in  addition  to  climate-induced  species  distribution  shifts8,  is  that  planktonic  species  and  the 
timing and the extent of plankton blooms have altered9. There have also been large reductions 
in  plankton  abundance10  in  the  period  2015-2019  and  in  nutrient  inputs  from  land11.  These 
changes may have negatively affected fish stock productivity. 

In the Mediterranean, the central and eastern areas are considered more vulnerable to climate 
change due to increased pressure from invasive species of tropical origin (such as Lessepsian 
species and other species), higher water temperatures and less ocean circulation, which leads 
to lower levels of dissolved oxygen. 

2.1. Fishing opportunities in 2024 

Fishing opportunities are an important instrument in sustainable fisheries management. In the 
Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Skagerrak/Kattegat, fishing opportunities are mainly set as catch 
limits also known as total allowable catches (TACs). 

The environmental situation in the Baltic Sea and its rivers is dramatically different from 
the situation is other sea basins, and it continues to affect fish stocks and their development. 
The Baltic Sea today faces multiple pressures, which have led to a decline in biodiversity12. 
These  pressures  include  eutrophication  from  nutrient  inputs  and  persistently  high  levels  of 
contaminants.  This,  in  part,  stems  from  failure  to  implement  EU  legislation13.  One  possible 
nature-based  solution  currently  explored  is  the  use  of  mussels,  which  can  rapidly  reverse 
eutrophication,  restore  deoxygenated  ‘dead  zones’  and  sequester  carbon  as  effectively  as 
forests would on land. In addition to these external pressures, shortcomings in implementing 
EU rules on weighing and catch registration may also play a significant role in the decline of 
Baltic Sea fish stocks.  

Four out of ten fisheries (western herring, both cod stocks and salmon in the main basin) in 
the  Baltic  Sea  are  no  longer  targeted  and  may  only  be  landed  as  by-catch.  The  remaining 
target fisheries are the other pelagic stock (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.  

8 Climate change and the common fisheries policy - European Commission (europa.eu) 
9 Drifting microscopic algae and animals form the base of the pelagic food web and are a direct or indirect food 
source for fish, shellfish and seabirds. https://oap.ospar.org/en/ospar-assessments/quality-status-reports/qsr-
2023/indicator-assessments/changes-plankton-biomass-abundance/  

10 

11 

https://oap.ospar.org/en/ospar-assessments/quality-status-reports/qsr-2023/indicator-assessments/changes-

plankton-biomass-abundance/ 

https://oap.ospar.org/en/ospar-assessments/quality-status-reports/qsr-2023/indicator-assessments/changes-

plankton-biomass-abundance/ 

12 HELCOM Quality status report 2023 (HOLAS 3): https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/State-of-the-

Baltic-Sea-2023.pdf  

13  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. 

3 

 
 
  
 
The  Baltic  Sea  multiannual  plan14  provides  many  tools  to  help  ailing  fish  stocks  recover, 
including  suspending  target  fisheries,  setting  TACs  below  the  maximum  advised  levels, 
closing  during  spawning  periods  and  limiting  recreational  fishing.  But  unless  the  Member 
States apply and implement EU legislation in full, fish stocks will not recover. A commitment 
was made  in  the Our Baltic  2020  Ministerial  Declaration  to  implement  EU law  in  full; it is 
vital now to do so15. The 2nd edition of Our Baltic was held on 29 September 2023, including 
a progress report on the commitments made in 202016.  

To  overcome  the  effects  of  pollution,  eutrophication  and  climate  change  on  the  marine 
ecosystems,  fisheries  and  aquaculture,  it  is  essential  to  start  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 CFP and the best way to meet its objectives. 

The EU waters in the Atlantic and Skagerrak/Kattegat have lower pressures on fish stocks 
and different environmental conditions. In these sea basins, the EU has managed the 29 fish 
stocks in a sustainable manner, delivering multiple positive results with higher TACs for 5 in 
2024. Fishers in the Bay of Biscay have made significant efforts to manage fish stocks well, 
leading  to  fisheries  managed  in  line  with  the  MSY  for  a  number  of  years  as  shown  by  the 
2022  STECF  report.  However,  despite  their  efforts,  this  area  saw  a  major  drop  in  fishing 
opportunities for 2024 due to the legal obligation to remain at MSY levels.  

Most  EU  stocks  are  now  shared  with  coastal  States  in  the  North-East  Atlantic.  For  more 
than 85 TACs shared with the UK, the EU and the UK agreed TACs for 2024 based on best 
scientific  advice,  within  the  deadline  set  by  the  Trade  and  Cooperation  Agreement17.  Most 
TACs were set in line with the MSY where advice was available. There were ten stocks that 
received  a  zero-catch  advice  for  2024  from  the  International  Council  for  the  Exploration  of 
the Seas (ICES). For nine of these stocks, the EU and the UK agreed to set low bycatch TACs 
for  2024  to  prevent  choking  situations  in  mixed  fisheries,  in  line  with  the  EU  legal 
framework. For one stock, the EU and the UK agreed to set a scientific monitoring TAC for 
2024, following advice from ICES on the TAC18.  

Improving management of shared stocks agreed by the EU and UK under the framework of 
the  Specialised  Committee  for  Fisheries,  in  particular  aligning  the  management  areas  to  the 

14  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 https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2020-09/ministerial_declaration_our_baltic_conference.pdf 
16 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/2e76afa1-5695-11ee-9220-01aa75ed71a1 
17  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 (OJ L 149, 30.4.2021, p. 10). 

18   Written Record of fisheries consultations between the United Kingdom and the European Union for 2024: 
https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-12/2024-eu-uk-fisheries-consultations_en.pdf. 

4 

 
 
 
assessment units used by ICES, were instrumental to improve the sustainable management of 
shared stocks and to reaching a prompt and satisfactory agreement19. 

Most stocks shared between the EU, Norway and the UK in the North Sea indicate a positive 
trend. For 2024, the EU, Norway and the UK agreed to set TACs for these stocks in line with 
MSY advice. The agreement on TACs includes an increase for cod, which has been set below 
the  MSY  advice  for  precautionary  reasons.  TACs  for  two  other  stocks  were  set  below  the 
MSY  point  value  to  cater  for  their  interaction  with  cod  in  mixed  fisheries.  The  North  Sea 
herring  TACs  were  set  in  line  with  the  scientific  advice,  and  parties  agreed  to  continue 
limiting  catches  in  the  Skagerrak-Kattegat  to  mitigate  the  impact  on  the  depleted  Western 
Baltic herring stock. TACs for the two assessed stocks managed bilaterally with Norway in 
the Skagerrak-Kattegat were set in line with the MSY or precautionary advice20. 

For mackerel, blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring, stocks that are widely distributed 
across the North-East Atlantic21, coastal States22 agreed to set overall TACs for 2024 at MSY 
level. However, in the absence of sharing arrangements and due to unilateral actions by some 
parties  including  excessive  interannual  transfers,  the  sum  of  quotas  from  coastal  States  and 
fishing  parties  still  exceeds  the  overall  TACs  agreed.  This    further  undermines  the 
sustainability  of  these  stocks,  hinders  progress  made  in  reaching  coastal  States  agreements, 
and more generally has strained in the cooperation in these fora. The EU remains committed 
to reaching a sustainable outcome of the herring discussions. It continues to actively engage in 
discussions  with  other  coastal  States  and  fishing  parties  with  the  aim  of  concluding  new 
comprehensive sharing arrangements for the sustainable management of these stocks. 

The Mediterranean and Black Seas are home to multispecies fisheries  where many stocks 
are shared with third countries. The fishing mortality rate has approached a sustainable level 
for some stocks. In 2021, 26 stocks reached FMSY or lower levels, but 38stocks are still fished 
above sustainable levels. Action must continue to reduce fishing and reach the MSY. To do 
so, states must apply the Western Mediterranean multiannual plan (‘West Med MAP’)23 and 
the 2030 Strategy of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)24. For 

19   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. 

20   Record of conclusion of fisheries consultation between Norway and the European Union on the regulation of 
https://oceans-and-

fisheries 
fisheries.ec.europa.eu/document/download/675ccb20-4b1c-456e-b13c-8e7b853002e3_en?filename=2023-
12-08-EU-NO-Skagerrak-Agreed-Record-2024.pdf. 

Skagerrak 

Kattegat 

2024: 

and 

for 

in 

21   https://www.ices.dk/community/groups/pages/wgwide.aspx,  the  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. 

22   Coastal  states  in  the  North-East  Atlantic  managing  these  stocks  are  the  Member  States  of  the  European 

Union, United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland, and the Russian Federation. 

23   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). 

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

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

5 

 
 
 
2024,  the  fishing  opportunities  are  in  line  with  a  substantial  set  of  measures  adopted  in  the 
2023 fishing opportunities regulation for the implementation of the West Med MAP. 

In the transitional phase of the West Med MAP, and to achieve the MSY by 2025, the fishing 
opportunities for 202425 take an integrated approach. This approach builds on management 
tools and develops the compensation mechanism that encourages states to use more selective 
gear  and  to  close  areas  to  fishing.  Member  States  are  encouraged  to  continue  using  this 
mechanism. The Council has also set maximum catch limits for 2024 for the most overfished 
deep-water shrimps and maintained the caps on fishing with 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  two  multiannual  management  plans  and  the  adoption  of  maximum 
catch  limits  for  common  dolphinfish  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  a  consolidation  of 
management  measures  for  European  eel  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea  in  all  habitats  including 
freshwaters and further measures to reduce fishing mortality for the glass eel.  

The  GFCM  also  continued  implementing  the  two  Adriatic  long-term  management  plans  to 
provide high long-term yields consistent with the MSY. For the continued implementation of 
the  small  pelagic  species  multiannual  plan,  the  GFCM  set  lower  catch  limits  for  2024  for 
anchovies and sardines, and a freeze of capacity for pelagic trawlers and purse seiners. For the 
demersal  stocks  multiannual  plan  in  the  Adriatic,  the  GFCM  set  a  maximum  fishing  effort 
limit  for  both  bottom  and  beam  trawlers,  to  achieve  the  MSY  in  2026  for  all  5  key  stocks 
(European  hake,  Norway  lobster,  common  sole,  deep-water  rose  shrimp  and  red  mullet). 
Lower  catch  limits  were  adopted  under  the  four  multiannual  plans  managing  deep-water 
shrimp in the Ionian Sea, Levant Sea and the Strait of Sicily (including effort management for 
hake). The GFCM adopted harvest limits for red coral. For the Black Sea, a TAC was set for 
turbot under the GFCM plan, and an EU autonomous quota was set for sprat. 

The EU agreed on measures for European eel26 in marine and adjacent brackish waters in 
the  North-East  Atlantic  (including  the  Baltic  Sea),  continuing  the  six-month  closure 
period.  It  also  agreed on a  closure period to  coincide with  the juvenile eel  migration and  to 
protect mature eels swimming between the sea and rivers. These measures will be subject to 
increased monitoring in 2024. The Commission continue to monitor progress in implementing 
the measures in the joint declaration27 on strengthening the recovery of European eel, signed 
by the Commission and some Member States28.  

25   Council Regulation (EU) 2024/259 of 10 January 2024 fixing for 2024 the fishing opportunities for certain 
stocks  and  groups  of  fish  stocks  applicable  in  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas  (OJ  L,  2024/259, 
11.1.2024). 

26   Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2024/257. 
27 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-5374-2023-ADD-1-REV-1/en/pdf  
28  Austria,  Croatia,  Cyprus,  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Finland,  Germany,  Greece,  Hungary,  Ireland,  Lithuania, 

Luxemburg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia. 

6 

 
 
 
3.  STATE OF THE EU FLEET 

Member States must keep fleets under the national ceilings set for vessel capacity (in terms of 
gross tonnage (GT) and engine power (kW)). Member States that have fleet segments with a 
demonstrated  imbalance  must  present  action  plans  that  set  adjustment  targets  and  tools  to 
achieve  balance  with  a  clear  timeframe  for  implementation.  Any  capacity  withdrawn  with 
public aid may not be replaced29. 

Since  2022,  the  number  of  vessels,  GT  and  engine  power  has  fallen  by  0.44%,  0.52%  and 
0.10% respectively. As a result,  by 31 December 2023, the EU  fishing fleet30 comprised 71 
608 vessels of 1 305 115 GT and 5 226 554 kW. 

Member States indicated in their 2023 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  accuracy  of 
Member State action plans. A number of Member States find no need to submit action plans 
despite having fleet segments with ’red’ indicators31 showing that these segments are not in 
balance.  

Different  parameters  are  used  to  assess  whether  a  fleet  is  in  balance.  For  instance, 
unprofitable or underused fleet segments may indicate that the fleet segments are recurrently 
or  permanently  tied  up  and  inactive  Similarly,  if  many  vessels  spend  less  time  fishing  than 
they could, then the fleet segment may be too large for the available resources on which the 
vessels rely.  

Several segments still lack data to  assess their balance in full. Member States are invited to 
increase their data collection efforts, especially in areas where the information is limited, such 
as  outermost  regions.  To  this  end,  the  Commission  is  working  on  the  adoption  of  special 
guidelines for the assessment of the balance of certain fleet segments in the outermost regions 
introducing alternative methods to be applied for the preparation of certain indicators used to 
assess balance. In the 2023 Communication on the CFP32, the Commission called on Member 
States to increase the transparency and flexibility of their fishing capacity management and to 
consider  reallocating  unused  capacity  for  structural  investment  on  board.  For  those  fleet 
segments  which  are  not  in  balance,  the  Member  States  shall  prepare  new  or  updated  action 
plans as part of their national fleet reports. 

29  Article  22  of  the  CFP  Regulation  -  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 
30   Including the fleet fishing in outermost regions. 
31   ‘Red’  indicators  show  fleet  segments  that  are  out  of  balance  with  the  fishing  opportunities.  A  ‘green’ 

indicator shows a fleet segment in balance with the fishing opportunities.  

32   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. 

7 

 
 
 
4.  SOCIO-ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE 

After fuel prices peaked at EUR 1.2 per litre in 2022, prices have gradually fallen to EUR 0.8-
0.9 per litre in the first quarter of 2024. At current prices, the EU fishing fleet can expect to 
produce  a  gross  value  added  of  around  EUR 2.5  billion,  cover  their  operational  costs  and 
maintain jobs  and salaries for around 122 000  fishers. This  is  a significant  improvement  on 
2022, when most EU fishing fleets were unable to cover their operational costs.  

Although overall, most national fleets are expected to be profitable in 2024, a socio-economic 
analysis  indicates  that  a  number  of  fleet  segments  will  face  challenging  conditions, 
particularly those that depend on overfished stocks and use energy-intensive fishing gear. By 
contrast,  fleet  segments  that depend on stocks exploited sustainably and  that  have  increased 
their energy efficiency tend to perform better and generate higher salaries for their crews. This 
illustrates the important socio-economic gains in stock conservation and energy efficiency by 
EU fishing fleets.  

Though fuel prices have fallen, energy remains one of the major costs for the EU fishing fleet 
in 2024. This vulnerability is a result of many fleets having a high level of energy intensity 
and  a  high  level  of  dependence  on  fossil  fuels.  On  this  front,  the  Commission  proposed 
several  actions  in  the  Communication  on  the  Energy  Transition  of  EU  fisheries  and 
aquaculture33  to  help  the  EU  fishing  fleets  accelerate  its  energy  transition  and  reach  the 
objective of climate neutrality by 2050. The actions included setting up the Energy Transition 
Partnership  in  EU  fisheries  and  aquaculture34,  and  issuing  a  guide  to  stakeholders  and 
Member  States  on  how  to  best  use  the  European  Maritime  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture  Fund 
(EMFAF) and other existing EU funds to support the energy transition.  

5.  LANDING OBLIGATION 

The  landing  obligation  is  one  of  the  core  elements  of  the  CFP.  Its  purpose  is  to  ensure  the 
marine  biological  resources  are  exploited  in  a  sustainable  way,  aiming  to  increase  selective 
fishing, so that unwanted catches are not caught in the first place and to eliminate discarding.  

However, Member States mostly use traditional monitoring techniques, such as inspections at 
sea,  inspections  at  landing  and  aerial  surveillance.  These  tools  alone  are  not  sufficient  to 
tackle  the  issue  of  illegal  discards  of  catches  during  fishing  at  sea35  and  there  are  indeed 
indications of illegal and undocumented discarding.  

On  22  November  2023,  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  adopted  new  EU  control 
rules,  and  these  will  contribute  to  the  effective  monitoring  of  compliance  with  the  landing 
obligation36.  These  include  an  obligation  for  larger  vessels,  which  pose  a  high  risk  of  non-

33 COM(2023) 100 final (eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52023DC0100) 
34  Energy Transition Partnership - European Commission (europa.eu) 
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   Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 November 2023 amending 
Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, and amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006 and (EC) 

8 

 
 
 
 
compliance  with  the  landing  obligation,  to  install  remote  electronic  monitoring  systems  on 
board, including closed-circuit television cameras, by 10 January 2028 at the latest. However, 
the  new  rules  do  not  make  the  use  of  cameras  on  board  vessels  of  less  than  18  metres  in 
overall  length  compulsory.    It  is  therefore  necessary  to  explore  how  these  vessels  will  be 
controlled  and  how  compliance  with  the  landing  obligation  will  be  ensured  for  the  many 
vessels in the EU fleet under 18 metres and those perceived as being below ‘high risk’. 

Accurate recording of catches is essential for stock assessments, as the scientists use the data 
reported  in  logbooks  and  collected  under  the  Data  Collection  Framework37  to  underpin 
scientific advice. As highlighted in the 2023 Communication on the CFP38, data accuracy is 
also essential to the evaluations that help the Commission decide whether EU action should 
continue or be adjusted.  

The landing obligation also requires the ‘detailed and accurate documentation of all trips’39 
and  that  catches  be  ‘counted  against  the  quotas  where  applicable’40.  The  weighing  and 
registration  of  landed  catches  is  essential  in  monitoring  quota  uptake  and  is  fundamental  to 
the successful fisheries management. Verifications conducted by the Commission over several 
years  have  shown  that  Member  States  do  not  always  ensure  that  catches  are  weighed  in 
accordance  with  EU  rules  and  that  there  is  often  significant  misreporting  of  the  actual 
quantities landed.  

Stakeholders  are  making  efforts  to  tackle  these  issues.  Research  projects  and  cooperation 
between  scientists  and  fishers  have  generated  valuable  lessons  on  more  selective  fishing 
methods  and  gear,  and  on  managing  discards  under  the  landing  obligation  rules.  The 
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and the EMFAF, provide financial support 
to  implement  the  landing  obligation,  with  a  high  rate  of  public  aid.  At  the  end  of  202341, 
Member States had selected 302 operations with a total EMFAF funding of €58.2 million for 
the  landing  obligation.  Most  operations  aimed  to  increase  the  added  value  or  quality  of 
unwanted  catches42,  reduce  the  impact  of  fishing  on  the  marine  environment  and  eliminate 
discards43. 

Despite  the  efforts  made,  much  more  is  needed  to  implement  the  landing  obligation,  five 
years  after  it  entered  into  force  in  full.  In  January  2024,  the  Commission  launched  a  study 

No  1005/2008  and  Regulations  (EU)  2016/1139,  (EU)  2017/2403  and  (EU)  2019/473  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council as regards fisheries control (OJ L, 2023/2842, 20.12.2023). 

37   Regulation  (EU)  2017/1004  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  17  May  2017  on  the 
establishment of a Union framework for  the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector 
and support for scientific advice  regarding the common fisheries policy and repealing Council Regulation 
(EC) No 199/2008 (OJ L 157, 20.6.2017, p. 1). 

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. 

39 Article 15(13) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council. 
40 Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.  
41   EMFAF  implementation  report  2023,  Directorate-General  for  Maritime  Affairs  and  Fisheries  publication 

will follow. 

42   Article 42 of the EMFF Regulation. 
43   Article 38 and 39 of the EMFF Regulation. 

9 

 
 
 
underpinning the evaluation of the landing obligation. The study will collect evidence for an 
assessment on how the landing obligation has performed, and why it performs as it does.  

6.  MAIN MESSAGES AND ORIENTATIONS FOR 2024 FISHING OPPORTUNITIES PROPOSALS 

6.1.Key stages to setting the next fishing opportunities 

In preparing its  proposals for the 2025  fishing  opportunities, the  Commission  will  take into 
account  the  findings  of  the  judgment  issued  by  the  Court  of  Justice  on  11  January  2024  in 
Case C-330/2244. It  will also  draw  its proposals  on the scientific advice issued by the  ICES 
and  the  STECF,  including  ecosystem  considerations  where  these  are  provided  in  scientific 
advice,  the  decisions  taken  during  international  negotiations  with  third  countries,  decisions 
taken  by  RFMOs  and  on  a  socio-economic  analysis,  as  well  as  the  entry  into  force  of  the 
permanent phase of the West Med MAP from January 2025.  

The  Commission  will  cover  as  many  stocks  as  possible  in  its  proposals,  subject  to  the 
availability and timing 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  provide  feedback  or  recommendations 
through Advisory Councils, national authorities and individually to the Commission.  

The Commission will conduct various consultations with the UK, Norway and other coastal 
states  starting  in  October.  The  aim  is  to  conclude  the  negotiations  in  time  to  integrate  the 
outcome of the consultations into the deliberations of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in 
December 2024.  

As  well  as  setting  fishing  opportunities,  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  TACs  and  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 multiannual plans, 
especially for mixed fisheries. Where the biomass has decreased so much that it is below safe 
biological  limits,  the  Commission  propose  to  rebuild  the  stocks  and  include  remedial 
measures, in line with each multiannual plan. It will focus action on getting a full MSY advice 
for other key stocks as soon as possible.  

44   Judgment of 11 January 2024, Friends of the Irish Environment (Possibilités de pêche supérieures à zéro), 
C-330/22, EU:C:2024:19. The judgment rules on the validity of Council Regulation (EU) 2020/123 fixing 
for 2020 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, read in combination with 
Articles  9,  10,  15  and  16  of  Regulation  1380/2013  and  Articles  1  to  5,  8  and  10  of  Regulation  (EU) 
2019/472. 

10 

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

Where possible, the Commission will continue moving to a system of multiannual TACs for 
EU-only stocks. For two EU-only stocks, multiannual TACs have been set for 2024 and 2025. 
This will increase efficiency and predictability for the EU fishing industry for stocks selected 
in  close  consultation  with  Member  States,  stakeholders  and  the  ICES.  Member  States  are 
asked  to  list  priority  stocks  for  which  they  recommend  2-year  TACs.  Following  an 
assessment, the Commission will ask the ICES to assess the stocks identified:  

i. 
ii. 
iii. 

against the ICES multiannual advice criteria;  
in terms of multiannual advice feasibility; and  
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 
follow the same approach as for EU-only stocks. It will base its position on the best available 
scientific advice, with  the objective of setting  fishing  opportunities  in line with  MSY  levels 
and negotiating with the UK, Norway and other coastal States, where relevant, conservation 
measures. The CEU will continue to cooperate with the UK on the joint EU-UK commitments 
made  in  the  Specialised  Committee  on  Fisheries  and  with  the  UK  and  Norway  to  follow 
through on the trilateral commitments made to achieve sustainable fishing and management of 
to  finding  sustainable,  balanced  and 
shared  stocks.  The  EU  remains  committed 
comprehensive  sharing  arrangements  for  widely  distributed  stocks  that  are  jointly  managed 
with other coastal States. 

For  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas,  it  is  essential  that  Member  States  pursue  the 
objectives set in the EU West Med multiannual plan and in the GFCM plans in line with the 
2030  strategy.  The  Commission  encourages  Member  States  to  implement  accompanying 
measures  under  the  EMFAF  programmes.  On  1  January  2025,  the  transitional  phase  of  the 
West Med EU MAP will end, and the plan will enter into the full implementation phase. This 
means that the FMSY ranges in the multiannual plancould be used, if the stocks are above the 
precautionary  reference  points,  to  possibly  apply  flexible  measures  to  mixed  fisheries.  The 
proposal  for  fishing  opportunities  should  include  the  available  management  tools,  FMSY 
ranges, and the compensation mechanism  to  improve gear selectivity and  area  closures. The 
STECF  evaluates  progress  in  the  implementation  of  the  multiannual  plan  annually.  The 
Commission has also launched work on each aspect of sustainability with a view to reporting 
in July 2024 on the impact of the West Med MAP on the stocks and the fisheries concerned.  

Shared  stock  management  is  also  necessary  to  ensure  sustainable  fishing  in  international 
waters  and  to  level  the  playing  field  in  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas.  To  this  end,  the 
proposal for fishing opportunities in 2025 will cover current GFCM measures and additional 
measures  to  be  adopted  at  the  annual  GFCM  session  in  November,  including  important 
measures  to implement  the Adriatic small  pelagic  species  and demersal  species multiannual 
plans,  long-term  measures  for  European  eel  and  for  red  coral.  For  Black  Sea  species,  the 

11 

 
 
 
Commission will propose TACs and quotas for turbot and sprat, in line with the measures to 
be adopted at the annual GFCM session, based on the results of the GFCM pilot studies and 
research programmes.  

The  progress  made  in  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas  must  continue  and  accelerate, 
building on the results of the GFCM high-level conference of October 2023 and the 2024 Fish 
Forum. Greater focus is needed in the GFCM/FAO SSF Summit (July 2024) and the Regional 
Aquaculture Conference (December 2024). These will be important milestones in the process 
to prepare the next MedFish4Ever Ministerial declaration for the next Ministerial Conference 
in  2026.  All  Member  States  must  continue  action  to  achieve  sustainable  fish  as  this  is  the 
basis for a resilient fishing sector, and for protecting ecosystems in these sea basins.  

There  is  an  urgent  need  to  improve  the  protection  of  European  eel.  In  addition  to  closely 
monitoring implementation of the 2024 fishing opportunities and assessing the measures for 
2025 for marine waters, the Commission again calls on Member States under the EU marine 
action plan to update their eel management plans under the Eel Regulation45, in line with their 
legal obligations under EU environmental law. 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.  To  facilitate  this  dialogue  and  process,  the  Commission 
organised a technical workshop on eel management on 24 April 2024 within the context of the 
marine  action  plan.  The  GFCM  is  currently  working  on  future  long-term  measures  for 
European eel that cover all habitats, including inland waters.  

7. CONCLUSION 

The  overall  sustainability  of  EU  fisheries  improved  further  in  2023,  thanks  to  continued 
action. This is particularly the case in the EU waters in the Atlantic. The situation in the Baltic 
Sea,  however,  remains  extremely  worrying  as  populations  of  previously  important 
commercial  stocks  continue  to  decline  due  to  multiple  sources  of  pressure.    For  the 
Mediterranean and Black Sea, despite recent improvements in the state of some stocks, more 
action and greater commitment is required to tackle the situation. 

Climate  change  affects  human  activities  and  the  intensity  of  pressures  as  well  as  the  links 
between  these.  To  tackle  the  pressure  on  fish  stocks,  it  is  crucial  that  the  Member  States 
implement  EU  legislation  in  full  and  that  all  stakeholders  take  concerted  action  to  reduce 
pressure on fish stocks. The EU is tackling marine pollution through a number of legislative 
and policy initiatives under the broad framework of the zero pollution action plan46. 

The  Commission’s  proposals  for  fishing  opportunities  in  2025  will  seek to  enable  stocks  to 
recover,  consolidate  the  fish  stocks  that  have  reached  sustainable  levels  and  to  boost  the 
resilience of fishers.  

45 Council Regulation (EC) No 1100/2007 of 18 September 2007 establishing measures for the recovery of the 

stock of European eel. 

46  These  include  setting  limits  to  marine  litter,  underwater  noise,  nutrients  and  contaminants  under  the  MSFD 

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

12 

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

The  Commission  invites  Member  States,  Advisory  Councils,  stakeholders  and  the  public  to 
provide feedback on this Communication by 31 August 2024. 

13 

 
 
 
 
PLANNED WORK SCHEDULE47 

What 

-  November 

ICES scientific advice 

When 

May 
2024 

June  -  end  August 
2024 

End August 2024 

Public consultation on the Communication 

Commission  adopts  the  proposal  for  fishing  opportunities  in  the 
Baltic Sea 

Mid-September 2024  Commission  adopts  the  proposal  for  fishing  opportunities  in  the 

Mediterranean and Black Seas 

October  -  December 
2024 

Annual  consultations  on  fishing  opportunities  with  parties  in  the 
North-East Atlantic 

October 2024 

Council meeting on fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea 

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

End October 2024 

Commission  adopts  the  proposal  for  fishing  opportunities  in  the 
Atlantic/North Sea  

 4-8 November 2024 

GFCM annual session  

12-15 November 2024  NEAFC annual meeting 

1 December 2024 

STECF stock assessment and management advice 

December 2024 

Council meeting on FOs in the Atlantic/North Sea 

Council meeting on FOs in for the Mediterranean and Black Seas 

47 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. 

14