The EU Commission’s fisheries chief, Charlina Vitcheva, responds to NWWAC concerns over ICES VME advice and regulation reform delays
The European Commission has formally responded to the North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC) following mounting concerns over the accuracy and application of ICES advice on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) and the impact of related fishing closures.
In a letter dated 26 March 2025, Director-General Charlina Vitcheva addressed the core criticisms raised by the NWWAC in January, particularly over the inconsistency between ICES’ 2023 and 2024 advice, flaws in data modelling, and the Commission’s lack of revision to the existing Implementing Regulation (EU 2022/1614).
Vitcheva defended the Commission’s position by stating:
“The Commission considers the latest ICES advice as the best available scientific information and is basing its current considerations on it.”
She acknowledged industry frustrations regarding the handling of ICES’ 2021/2022 advice, which underpins current closures, saying:
“We are aware that stakeholders have expressed concerns about the 2021/2022 advice. However, ICES has not withdrawn that advice, and it remains formally valid.”
Despite calls from the sector for immediate regulatory revision, the Commission made clear that no update to the Implementing Regulation would be forthcoming at this time.
“The Implementing Regulation is not automatically updated every time ICES updates its advice. A revision will be considered in due course and in light of a broader evaluation,” Vitcheva stated.
She did, however, confirm that ICES would conduct a methodology benchmark for VME assessments in 2027 and that stakeholder feedback, including from groups like the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO), had been taken seriously.
“All relevant feedback, including the one from the KFO, was shared with ICES,” she wrote.
Regarding the contentious issue of VME closures and their socio-economic impact, Vitcheva noted that the Commission had already mandated the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) to examine the implications.
“We are working with STECF on a detailed socio-economic analysis, and a working group meeting is planned for March 2025.”
The NWWAC has argued that ICES failed to follow its own protocols for revising flawed advice and called for equal standards of evidence in environmental and stock assessment advice.
While the Commission appears unwilling to withdraw or amend the current closures for now, it has opened the door to future regulatory change. Vitcheva concluded:
“The Commission remains committed to ensuring both environmental sustainability and the socio-economic viability of EU fisheries. Ongoing dialogue and robust evidence will guide future decisions.”
With fisheries ministers under pressure from their fleets, attention will now turn to the outcomes of STECF’s analysis and the Commission’s next steps in balancing marine conservation with industry survival.