The European Commission has opened a public consultation seeking stakeholder feedback on the potential simplification of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), the EU’s main funding instrument supporting fisheries, aquaculture, and the broader blue economy.
The consultation is available via “Have Your Say” portal and will remain open until 21 July 2026.
The initiative aims to introduce targeted amendments to the EMFAF Regulation, with a clear objective: make the fund simpler, more flexible, and easier to implement across Member States.
This move comes at the midpoint of the 2021–2027 programming period, following a mid-term evaluation that identified practical challenges in implementation. In particular:
- Some rules are considered complex or difficult to apply in practice
- Certain funding measures are perceived as too rigid, potentially limiting investment uptake
- Administrative requirements may be hindering efficient use of funds
Through this consultation, the Commission aims to gather concrete evidence and practical suggestions from stakeholders to address these issues.
Broad stakeholder engagement
The call for evidence is open to a wide range of contributors, including:
- EU Member States and managing authorities
- Fisheries and aquaculture operators
- The wider value chain (processors, retailers, ports, shipbuilders)
- Civil society, academia, and citizens
Stakeholders are encouraged to share insights on:
- Where EMFAF rules may be holding back investments
- How processes could be streamlined
- How to improve the uptake and impact of funding
Aligning EU funding with global sustainability commitments
A key component of this initiative is the alignment of EMFAF rules with international trade commitments, specifically the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which entered into force on 15 September 2025.
This agreement establishes the first binding global framework to curb harmful subsidies contributing to overfishing by:
- Prohibiting support for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing
- Restricting subsidies for fishing overexploited stocks
- Eliminating public support for unregulated high seas fishing
The Commission’s objective is to ensure that EU funding fully complies with these rules, reinforcing sustainability while maintaining support for the sector.
Supporting a resilient and sustainable blue economy
The EMFAF plays a central role in delivering key EU priorities, including:
- The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)
- EU maritime policy
- International ocean governance commitments
By simplifying and improving the fund’s implementation, the Commission aims to unlock investment, enhance efficiency, and support the long-term resilience of coastal communities and marine ecosystems.
This consultation represents a strategic opportunity for stakeholders to shape the evolution of EU funding mechanisms in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
Simpler and more flexible rules could:
- Accelerate funding deployment
- Reduce administrative burden
- Enable faster responses to sector challenges
- Strengthen the impact of EU investments in the blue economy
The consultation is available via “Have Your Say” portal and will remain open until 21 July 2026
If you are working with EMFAF projects or Atlantic/blue economy initiatives, now is the moment to feed in operational insights and help influence future funding conditions.