European Union: First assessment of certain measures of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2021-2027

The Committee on Fisheries (PECH) of the European Parliament commissions entrusted COFAD with a study on the future of the EU fishing fleet and in particular the effects of certain support measures of the EMFAF on the future of the fleet.

The European fisheries sector has been facing considerable pressure for adaptation to deal with high fuel costs, increasing competition on the market and for marine space, as well as generational change. In order to help the sector facing such challenges, Members of the PECH Committee have advocated the inclusion of certain support measures for the sector in the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027. These measures are:

First acquisition of a fishing vessel (Article 17)
Replacement or modernisation of a main or ancillary engine (Article 18)
Increase of gross tonnage to improve safety, working conditions or energy efficiency (Article 19)

The PECH Committee now wants to know how these measures have been taken up in the national programmes under the EMFAF, in how far corresponding projects have been implemented so far and which potential effects these measures are expected to have on the future of the European fisheries sector.
COFAD’s task is to undertake a synopsis of this on the level of the coastal EU Member States. As a result of the work, the European Parliament expects concrete policy recommendations relevant to EU decision-making.
The assignment is undertaken by COFAD in-house staff. The final report will be presented and discussed in a workshop of the PECH committee in autumn 2024.