EAPO Calls for Stronger Support in Common Market Organization Implementation

The European Association of Fish Producers Organisations (EAPO) has published a position paper highlighting inconsistencies in financial support for Producer Organisations (POs) across EU member states.

The report stresses the need for a more level playing field in funding and regulatory implementation to strengthen the role of POs under the Common Market Organization (CMO).

POs play a crucial role in implementing the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) by ensuring sustainable fishing practices, stabilising markets, and supporting coastal communities. However, EAPO warns that current financial disparities among member states create significant challenges.

The position paper underscores that some POs receive over 20 times the funding compared to others, creating an uneven market landscape. “POs form the backbone of the fishery sector,” the report states, adding that while the EU has made efforts to promote POs, “the optional nature of PMP funding highlights the existing imbalance, resulting in a lack of a level playing field.”

EAPO is calling for the European Commission to introduce mandatory minimum funding levels under future European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Funds (EMFAF) to ensure all member states allocate sufficient support to POs.

“This is of high importance for European POs as PMP funding ensures they are able to fully embrace their role as backbone of the CFP,” the document states. The EAPO also notes that while the Commission has made efforts to communicate these funding gaps, there is still a need for structural reform.

The report also highlights the difficulties faced by small-scale fisheries in integrating into POs. While some small-scale fishers benefit from joining mixed POs alongside larger operators, others find their needs overlooked.

“Plenty of examples show that for some small-scale fishers, joining an existing PO can be the solution,” the report explains. However, EAPO notes that additional measures such as specific port-by-port meetings, quota prioritisation for high-value species, and administrative aid to access EU funds are necessary to ensure small-scale fishers receive fair representation.

EAPO further addresses issues with Transnational Producer Organisations (TPOs), which remain underutilised due to legal and funding challenges. Only four such organisations have been recognised within the EU, and a lack of specific funding mechanisms has hindered their growth. “The Commission has done its best,” the report acknowledges, but it calls on the sector to take responsibility for implementing TPOs effectively.

The paper also emphasises the importance of the competition rule exemptions granted to POs under the CMO, allowing them to regulate market supply to prevent price crashes and food waste. “This exclusion is an essential tool to allow some practices in the implementation of PMPs such as controlling the quantities put on the market by members to stabilise the markets and prices,” the report explains.

It details how POs use various strategies to manage supply, including daily and weekly quota controls, landing schedules aligned with market demand, storage mechanisms, and investment in freezing facilities to stabilise prices.

EAPO is urging EU policymakers to take immediate steps to address funding disparities, improve support for small-scale and transnational POs, and uphold competition rule exemptions to maintain market stability.

The organisation concludes that while the CMO framework is well-designed to help fishers organise supply chains and stabilise incomes, financial and regulatory inconsistencies threaten its effectiveness. To ensure long-term sustainability, EAPO calls for structured reforms that provide all EU POs with the resources they need to support the fishing industry and coastal communities.