Advisory councils warn EU fisheries control regulation risks harming fishing sector through disproportionate administrative and operational burdens.
Three European fisheries advisory bodies have warned that the implementation of the European Union’s new fisheries Control Regulation risks placing disproportionate burdens on the fishing sector without delivering meaningful improvements in enforcement.
The North Sea Advisory Council, the North Western Waters Advisory Council and the Mediterranean Advisory Council jointly issued advice to the European Commission expressing “serious concerns” about the rollout of Regulation (EU) 2023/2842, the updated framework governing fisheries monitoring and control across EU waters.
The advisory councils argue that the regulation’s progressive entry into force is revealing a growing list of administrative and operational demands that may exceed what is necessary to manage actual compliance risks.
According to the advice paper, the increasing obligations associated with the new system are already placing heavier administrative, technical and financial burdens on the fishing sector, particularly on small- and medium-scale operators.
The councils warn that if the situation continues, the regulation could undermine the economic viability of fishing operations rather than strengthen fisheries management.
Sector Warns of Unintended Consequences
The three advisory councils claim the Control Regulation was adopted without a sufficiently detailed understanding of the practical consequences it would have for seafood production across European sea basins.
Their advice states that the cumulative effects of the new measures on fishing operations, economic viability and seafood supply chains were not adequately assessed during the legislative process.
As a result, the councils argue that a regulation intended to strengthen monitoring and sustainability risks producing the opposite effect.
They warn that excessive compliance requirements could discourage investment in the sector, accelerate the exit of fishermen from the industry and weaken the coastal communities that depend on fishing activity.
The councils also point to wider geopolitical pressures, including the growing importance of food security, as a reason why the EU should carefully consider the practical impacts of regulatory changes on domestic seafood production.
Advisory Councils Criticise Lack of Consultation
A central criticism contained in the advice concerns the level of engagement between regulators and the fishing sector during the development and implementation of the regulation.
The advisory councils say the fishing industry has had little opportunity to properly discuss many of the proposed control measures with regulators.
They note that since a joint advisory council workshop on the implementation of the Control Regulation in February 2025, the European Commission has yet to respond to a list of detailed questions submitted by industry representatives regarding key aspects of implementation.
The councils argue that control systems are most effective when they are developed through close cooperation between policymakers and the fishing industry. Without such cooperation, they warn that trust in the regulatory system may erode and implementation could become significantly more difficult.
Calls for Changes Before Further Measures Implemented
In their advice to the Commission, the advisory councils call for corrective action where specific control measures prove disproportionate or technically unworkable.
They argue that discussions on technical feasibility should take place before measures are included in legislation, rather than after rules have already been adopted.
According to the councils, failing to address such issues risks creating delays, unnecessary costs and compliance problems for the fishing sector.
The advisory bodies say they remain willing to contribute constructively to improving the regulation’s implementation. However, they warn that without a change of approach the cumulative impact of the rules could reduce seafood production in several EU sea basins.
Such a decline, they argue, could trigger wider knock-on effects across the fishing industry’s infrastructure and increase the European Union’s dependence on imported seafood.
Commission Urged to Reconsider Approach
The advisory councils conclude by urging the European Commission to reconsider aspects of its approach to implementing the new Control Regulation and to engage more closely with the fishing sector.
They argue that fisheries control measures must be workable and proportionate if they are to support a resilient European fishing industry while achieving the intended objectives of monitoring and sustainability.