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Summaries of EU Legislation

The EU’s common fisheries policy

 

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 on the common fisheries policy

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

  • The regulation includes the basic rules of the common fisheries policy (CFP) in the European Union (EU).
  • The CFP aims to ensure that fishing and aquaculture activities contribute to long-term environmental, economic and social sustainability. In line with the European Green Deal (see summary) and the biodiversity strategy 2030 (see summary), EU fisheries are governed by the precautionary principle in order to limit the impact of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem.
  • The CFP builds on four pillars:
  • The CFP establishes rules for the management of fisheries, thus contributing to the conservation of marine biological resources, increased productivity, a fair standard of living for the fisheries sector, stable markets and the availability of food supplies at reasonable prices. Regarding market measures and financial support, the CFP also covers freshwater biological resources and aquaculture activities, along with the processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products.

KEY POINTS

  • Fisheries management aims to enable fishers to maximise their catches without threatening the reproduction of fish stocks (their ‘maximum sustainable yield’*. To this end, total allowable catches (or ‘fishing opportunities’) are set for most commercial fish stocks. Fishing levels had to conform to maximum sustainable yield levels for all stocks by 2015, if possible, and no later than 2020.
  • The management of fish stocks is based on scientific advice. EU Member States must collect, manage and make available the data needed for scientific advice. This includes biological, environmental and socioeconomic data. Data collection activities are financially supported by the EU.
  • By introducing a landing obligation*, the CFP aims to end the wasteful practice of returning unwanted catches to the sea (discarding). The landing obligation was gradually phased in over the 2015–2019 period and is now fully in force, requiring fishers to land all catches of regulated commercial species.
  • Multiannual plans set targets for the management of fish stocks. Where the adoption of multiannual plans or management plans that include discard plans takes longer than envisaged, Regulation (EU) 2017/2092 (amending Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013) empowers the European Commission to adopt discard plans.
  • Technical measures are a broad set of rules that govern how, where and when fishers may fish. They are established for all European sea basins, but they differ considerably from one sea basin to another, reflecting regional circumstances.
  • The CFP decentralises decision-making by bringing it closer to the fishing grounds (a process known as regionalisation). It provides for the establishment of advisory councils for each of the geographical areas. Member States with a management interest in a given area can propose detailed measures, which the Commission can adopt into EU law.
  • A fisheries control system ensures compliance with the CFP rules, including the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 – see summary). Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 (see summary) lays down the rules that apply to conserving fish stocks in countries with unsustainable fishing.
  • New marketing standards with respect to labelling, quality and traceability allow consumers to be better informed about the origin of the fish they buy and its mode of production.
  • The sustainability principle also applies to EU vessels fishing outside EU waters. The Commission is granted the power to negotiate and conclude sustainable fisheries partnership agreements on behalf of the EU with certain non-EU partner countries. These agreements:
    • allow EU vessels to fish for surplus stocks in the partner country’s exclusive economic zone* in a legally regulated environment in return for a financial contribution;
    • focus on resource conservation and environmental sustainability, ensuring that all EU vessels are subject to the same rules of control and transparency.
  • Member States must support the development of sustainable aquaculture through multiannual national plans.

Review of the reformed CFP

Every year, the Commission publishes a communication outlining progress on the situation of fish stocks and launching a wide public consultation on the fixing of annual fishing opportunities for the following year. This communication assesses 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 implementation of the landing obligation. It also sets out the rationale for the proposal on fishing opportunities for the following year.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 1 January 2014.

BACKGROUND

  • The CFP was first launched in 1970. It has undergone several reforms, the most recent of which took effect on 1 January 2014.
  • For further information, see:

KEY TERMS

Maximum sustainable yield. The highest theoretical equilibrium yield that can be continuously taken on average from a stock under existing average environmental conditions without significantly affecting the reproduction process.
Landing obligation. The requirement for EU vessels to land all catches to end the wasteful practice of returning unwanted catches to the sea.
Exclusive economic zone. An area of coastal water and seabed within a certain distance of a country’s coastline, to which the country claims exclusive rights for fishing, drilling and other economic activities.

MAIN DOCUMENT

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, pp. 22–61).

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1004 (OJ L 247, 13.7.2021, pp. 1–49).

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 (COM(2021) 279 final, 9.6.2021).

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – The European Green Deal (COM(2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019).

Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006, (EC) No 1224/2009 and Regulations (EU) No 1380/2013, (EU) 2016/1139, (EU) 2018/973, (EU) 2019/472 and (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 894/97, (EC) No 850/98, (EC) No 2549/2000, (EC) No 254/2002, (EC) No 812/2004 and (EC) No 2187/2005 (OJ L 198, 25.7.2019, pp. 105–201).

See consolidated version.

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, pp. 1–21).

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EU) 2016/1627 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 on a multiannual recovery plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 302/2009 (OJ L 252, 16.9.2016, pp. 1–52).

See consolidated version.

Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on certain measures for the purpose of the conservation of fish stocks in relation to countries allowing non-sustainable fishing (OJ L 316, 14.11.2012, pp. 34–37).

Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008 and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006 (OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, pp. 1–50).

See consolidated version.

Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, amending Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1936/2001 and (EC) No 601/2004 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1093/94 and (EC) No 1447/1999 (OJ L 286, 29.10.2008, pp. 1–32).

See consolidated version.

last update 21.03.2022

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