Amendment of the European maritime, fisheries and aquaculture fund for simplification and transposition of WTO agreement

Eurodom, an association representing socio-occupational organisations in the French outermost regions, warmly welcomes the public consultation launched by the European Commission to amend Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).

Filed in French · English published by the European Commission

iN-Aquaculture welcomes the European Commission's initiative to simplify the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). Based on the practical experience of small-scale aquaculture producers, we believe that the future EMFAF should become simpler, faster and more impact-oriented. Administrative simplification should go hand in hand with proportionality, transparency and accountability.

API strongly welcomes the European Commissions initiative to simplify the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation and enhance its flexibility for the remainder of the funding period. For Italian aquaculture, the EMFAF is far from a marginal instrument; it is a fundamental pillar for securing regional food production, driving farm modernization, and retaining a skilled workforce.

ANMUPESCA is the National Association of Fisheries Women. It currently brings together 40 integrated associations and represents more than 25.000 women from different areas of the fisheries and aquaculture value chain: fishing, shellfishing, net repair, aquaculture, processing, marketing, fishmongers and other activities related to the sector.

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

Contribution to the EMFAF Simplification Consultation The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) must remain an effective and future-oriented financial instrument capable of supporting the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) while maintaining a balanced environmental, economic and social approach.

First, the diversity of European sea basins, fisheries systems and coastal territories requires a more flexible and place-based implementation model. Regional managing authorities are best positioned to adapt support measures to local fisheries and coastal economies.

ClientEarth welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the European Commissions call for evidence regarding the amendment of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation (EU) 2021/1139. Please find attached the full contribution of ClientEarth this call for evidence.

The territorial dimension of the EMFAF should be reinforced through a specific simplification package for Community-Led Local Development under Article 30 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 and Articles 31 to 34 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060. FLAGs should retain genuine autonomy to assess and select operations according to their approved local development strategies.

Considerations of the Confederation of Galician Employers (CEG) in the public consultation process, opened by the European Commission, to gather input on a forthcoming amendment of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation.

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

Dear madam, sir, On behalf of the North Sea Foundation, I hereby would like to refer to the attached writing in supporting your public consultation for the EMFAF - amendment for simplification and to transpose the WTO Agreement. Best regards, [name removed] of Programs North Sea Foundation

The territorial dimension of the EMFAF should be reinforced through a specific simplification package for Community-Led Local Development under Article 30 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 and Articles 31 to 34 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060. FLAGs should retain genuine autonomy to assess and select operations according to their approved local development strategies.

Galicia is the most important fishing, shellfish and aquaculture region in the European Union in terms of fleet, employment, catches and processing volume. 63 fishermen’s guilds, a coastal and artisanal fleet that makes up almost the entire census, a shellfish gatherers and shellfish gatherers sector on foot without an equivalent in Europe, and a marine aquaculture industry led by mussel farming as a global…

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

Dear Sir/Madam, We are writing to you with a proposal to simplify administrative procedures that burden professional fishermen when using funds from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) as well as in their day-to-day operations.

Filed in Croatian · English published by the European Commission

Coldiretti, the largest organisation representing farmers and fishers in Italy and Europe, with its 1.6 million members, welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to gather input on the ‘European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund – amendment to simplify and transpose the WTO Agreement’. See detailed position paper attached.

Filed in Italian · English published by the European Commission

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is the main instrument supporting the European fisheries and aquaculture sector for the period 2021-2027. Spain considers that, although significant progress has been made, it is necessary to introduce simplification measures and greater flexibility to respond to the sector’s current challenges, favouring its modernisation, decarbonisation…

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

Contribution to the EMFAF Simplification Consultation The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) must remain an effective and future-oriented financial instrument capable of supporting the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) while maintaining a balanced environmental, economic and social approach.

Good, my opinion regarding eligibility for the Fempa Funds – Excess of bureaucracy in applying for and justifying aid. — Difficulties of access for small or collective entities with fewer technical means. The need for aid to take greater account of the reality of shellfish gatherers, netters, fishermen, shipowners, marketers, processors and other women in the value chain.

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the European Commission's initiative to simplify the implementation of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and to transpose the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies into EU law. While reducing unnecessary administrative burdens is important, regulatory simplification should not overlook the social dimensions of fisheries and maritime policy.

Oceana welcomes amendments to the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation to ensure full implementation into EU law of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. Furthermore, Oceana supports streamlined implementation of the EMFAF Regulation where this improves access to funding, accelerates the transition towards sustainable fisheries and contributes reducing the impacts of fishing…

The Government of the Azores welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to amend the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) to simplify and transpose the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement, considering this revision to be an opportunity to enhance the effectiveness, clarity and operationalisation of the support framework for the sector.

Filed in Portuguese · English published by the European Commission

Danish Fishers PO welcomes the European Commission's initiative to amend Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). The initiative comes at a crucial moment for the European fisheries sector and rightly acknowledges the implementation shortcomings identified by Member States, stakeholders, European Parliament and the Commission itself.

Réunion’s fisheries provide input to the European Commission’s public consultation on amending the EMFAF Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 to simplify and transpose the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. Nine recommendations are formulated as follows: 1- open up support in the ORs, including in the form of subsidies, to companies processing fishery products, irrespective of their size, in line with what is already…

Filed in French · English published by the European Commission

The amendment to the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund will include the new elements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, as well as amendments that will give Member States more flexibility in the implementation of their national programmes in the remaining part of the programming period.

Filed in Italian · English published by the European Commission

The EMFAF must remain an effective and future-oriented instrument supporting the objectives of the CFP through a balanced environmental, economic and social approach. It should provide sufficient flexibility to address sector needs, promote generational renewal, strengthen competitiveness, support fleet modernisation and decarbonisation, and ensure simplification, proportionality and subsidiarity.

The Association of German Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to simplify the EMFAF Regulation in a targeted manner and make it more flexible for the remaining funding period.

Filed in German · English published by the European Commission

CONXEMAR welcomes the European Commission's initiative to simplify the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and align it with the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. We support the overall objectives of the proposal and consider that the targeted revision provides an opportunity to improve the effectiveness, flexibility and accessibility of the Fund, while strengthening the competitiveness and…

Feedback from the Estonian Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture: We support the need to amend the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation to accelerate the energy transition and generational renewal in the sector through a more efficient use of existing funds, as this is hampered by existing restrictions.

Filed in Estonian · English published by the European Commission

SEA Europe welcomes the upcoming targeted amendment of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and calls for a reform that better reflects the technical, operational and economic realities of Europes fishing fleet.

EJF welcomes the opportunity to provide evidence in preparation for the European Commissions initiative to amend Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 establishing the EMFAF, including the objective of completing implementation.

Marine Ingredients Denmark (MID) submits feedback on the European Commissions consultation on the amendment of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). The feedback highlights the need for stronger support for the seafood processing sector, including funding for innovation, technology development, digitalisation, resource efficiency and the green transition.

Please find attached the full contribution of Seas At Risk this call for evidence. Seas At Risk strongly supports transposing the WTO fisheries subsidies agreement in the current EMFAF (and the next MFF), however, the revision of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) should not be regarded as a purely technical exercise aimed at transposing the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and…

The ongoing revision of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) provides an important opportunity to improve the effectiveness, flexibility and accessibility of the Fund while reducing unnecessary administrative burden. Based on the implementation experience of the current programming period, we would like to highlight the following proposals. 1.

For the EMFAF consultation, I would avoid framing the submission around fisheries compensation or sector-specific grievances. The strongest approach is to connect fisheries funding with Europe's wider objectives for food security, coastal resilience and sustainable ocean governance.

The Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA) welcomes the proposed amendment of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) as an opportunity to improve the transparency, coherence and sustainability of EU fisheries funding while ensuring compliance with the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

Our recommendation would be to shift the focus from financing individual aquaculture projects toward strengthening territorial production systems. Rather than evaluating isolated investments, EMFAF should explicitly support distributed networks of small-scale aquaculture enterprises that collectively deliver public value and increase resilience. More structured details in attached document.

Aquatic Life Institute welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the proposed amendment of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund. As the EU seeks to simplify the implementation of EMFAF and give Member States greater flexibility, it is important that public funding continues to support meaningful improvements in aquatic animal welfare.

Contribution to the consultation on the simplification of the EMFAF The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) should remain an effective and future-oriented financial instrument, capable of supporting the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and maintaining an environmentally, economically and socially balanced approach.

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

Europêche welcomes the European Commission's initiative to amend Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). The initiative comes at a crucial moment for the European fisheries sector and rightly acknowledges the implementation shortcomings identified by Member States, stakeholders and the Commission itself.

We welcome the Commissions initiative to reduce administrative burden for the fisheries sector and national administration under EMFAF. Based on our experience in fisheries digitalization, vessel monitoring and control systems, we highlight one practical simplification priority: catch landing, weighing, and reporting infrastructure in small ports, islands, remote landing places, and seasonal landing points.

FEDEPESCA presented the attached input in the framework of the public consultation on the amendment of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation. The proposals focus on the need to reduce the administrative burden that currently makes it difficult for micro-enterprises to access European funds, by simplifying forms and procedures, harmonising implementation criteria between Member…

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

Re European maritime fund no 1 A list of the top fishing ports by value in Europe should be Published each year no 2 Castletownbere in Ireland is the top fishing port in Ireland by value and is also one of the top fishing ports in Europe. The port is used by many European fishing boats. The road network from cork city to castletownbere is very poor.

1. Aid adapted to the reality of fishers The Andalusian fishing fleet, and especially the Mediterranean coastal fleet, is mostly composed of small family businesses that carry out highly regulated activity, with a high level of traceability and subject to intense administrative control.

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

In recent years, our business group, which is dedicated to growing rainbow trout in Spain, has invested more than EUR 5 million in modernising and adapting the plants for slaughtering, processing and packaging trout. Many of these investments are regulatory requirements of the community in terms of fish welfare, sanitary measures, ergonomics measures at work, etc.

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

In Spain, and more specifically in Murcia, aid for the marketing and processing of fish (aquaculture and fisheries) is not available to large enterprises as it is restricted to SMEs only. This limitation complicates the development of products in new formats.

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

In Spain, we encounter significant difficulties in accessing aid for the marketing and processing of fish (aquaculture and fisheries), as it is restricted exclusively to SMEs, leaving out large enterprises. This is an unnecessary limitation that hinders the progress of the sector.

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

On 24 June, through Coldiretti, I participated in a round table held at the European Commission in Brussels and gave me the opportunity to perceive differently the elements of the debate between the European Commission and the Italian position, both politically and privately.

Filed in Italian · English published by the European Commission

The coastal Mediterranean fleet is mostly composed of family-run micro-enterprises. However, the European regulatory framework de facto assimilates it to large-scale industrial fishing, applying disproportionate management and control measures that are not adapted to its low risk profile and high traceability.

Filed in Spanish · English published by the European Commission

Consultation response from Norwegian Coastal Shipowners EMFAF amendment for simplification and to transpose the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies Norwegian Coastal Shipowners welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Commissions initiative to amend the EMFAF Regulation, with the aim of simplifying the framework and transposing the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.