EAPO slams Common Fisheries Policy for regulatory overload, citing contradictions, poor coordination, and mounting pressure on industry
Industry Group Warns EU Policy Confusion Threatens Viability of Fishing Sector
The European Association of Fish Producers Organisations (EAPO) has issued a hard-hitting position paper warning that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is being systematically undermined by a wave of uncoordinated regulations and conflicting EU environmental directives.
In its submission to the European Commission’s review of the CFP, EAPO describes the current regime as structurally flawed and increasingly detached from operational realities on the water. The group, which represents over 4,000 vessels across 12 EU member states, argues that the policy no longer balances sustainability with viability—and risks rendering the fishing industry unworkable.
“There are too many competing and overlapping policies,” the organisation stated. “The CFP is no longer operating in isolation, yet it is being squeezed by external environmental directives without coordination or compensation.”
Contradictory Rules Creating Operational Chaos
EAPO highlights severe policy contradictions, such as the clash between the Landing Obligation and Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) targets. In mixed fisheries, the obligation to land all catches makes it nearly impossible to avoid exceeding quotas for non-target species—while sticking to MSY thresholds.
“The Landing Obligation and MSY targets often cannot be achieved simultaneously. This creates a lose-lose situation for both the sector and sustainability,” the paper argues.
Multiannual management plans, hailed as a cornerstone of the CFP, are also criticised for their inflexibility and failure to adapt to fast-moving stock dynamics. EAPO warns that the continued enforcement of rigid MSY objectives in these plans is leading to underutilised stocks and worsening economic pressures.
Uncoordinated Marine Planning, Offshore Wind, and Regulatory Sprawl
The report expresses growing frustration at the regulatory burden imposed by parallel EU frameworks—including the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Nature Restoration Law, and the expansion of offshore renewable energy (ORE).
According to EAPO, the fishing industry is being edged out of marine space by offshore energy developers and conservation restrictions, without meaningful consultation or strategic planning.
The organisation supports marine protection in principle, but insists that the current model marginalises the fishing community from decisions that directly impact their future.
“The fishing sector is being asked to comply with conflicting rules from multiple frameworks, with little support and less input,” the paper notes. “This is unsustainable—not for the environment, but for the people who rely on it.”
Brexit, Regionalisation, and Political Drift
Brexit, once expected to be a turning point for regionalised fisheries management, has instead exposed deep flaws in the CFP’s governance model. EAPO says that decision-making is now drifting back to centralised EU institutions, sidelining industry-led solutions and undermining local management.
The paper calls for a return to meaningful regional input, restoration of stakeholder-led processes, and a hard reset on how the EU balances environmental goals with the economic survival of the fishing industry.
A Sector Left to Absorb the Impact
EAPO concludes that unless the EU acts to restore policy coherence and operational logic to fisheries management, the consequences will be profound: declining fleet viability, loss of coastal employment, and the erosion of Europe’s food sovereignty.
“The fishing sector cannot meet EU expectations if the policy framework continues to disregard economic viability and generational renewal. A more balanced and pragmatic approach is essential.”
The European Commission’s CFP evaluation continues through 2025, with legislative proposals expected in the next Commission term. Industry stakeholders will be watching closely to see whether Brussels is prepared to address the policy contradictions now jeopardising the future of European fishing.
