The Chair of the PECH Committee has strongly condemned the EU Commission’s proposal for the 2028-2034 budget, citing alarming cuts to fisheries funding
The European Commission’s recent proposal for the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) has drawn sharp criticism from Carmen Crespo Díaz, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries.
Ms. Crespo Díaz has voiced significant concerns regarding the proposed budget, particularly its impact on the fisheries sector.
Ms. Crespo Díaz described the budget cut to fisheries as “unjustified as it is alarming.” She highlighted that the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is not only being diluted within a generic instrument but is also allocated only €2 billion. This figure represents a mere third of the funding it received in the current period, a reduction that has sparked considerable alarm within the industry.
This proposed cut, according to Ms. Crespo Díaz, follows years of challenges for the sector. These include consistent quota reductions, increasing limitations on fishing days, and a perceived lack of genuine support for fishing efforts. She characterised the new budget proposal as “a new blow to an essential sector that is already on the edge.”
A core point of contention for Ms. Crespo Díaz is the merging of fisheries funding into a broader instrument. She argues that this move jeopardises the very identity of the common fisheries policy, stating, “Fisheries is a common EU policy. It must not lose its identity. Without a specific fund, there is no specific policy.”
Furthermore, Ms. Crespo Díaz questioned the Commission’s lack of clarity in naming the new funding instrument for the sector. She noted that the instrument’s name does not even include a mention of fishing. She posed a pointed question, asking if the Commission genuinely believes it can ensure food security and strategic resilience while disregarding “the first link in the chain.”
In response to these concerns, the Chair of the Committee on Fisheries pledged to work proactively. Ms. Crespo Díaz promised that the Committee would collaborate with both the Council and the Parliament. Their aim is to “reverse this nonsense, and ensure that the sector has a reinforced EMFAF that is both autonomous and equipped to address the challenges we face.”
Source: Press Release