Strengthening the control regime: An important step towards more sustainable fisheries in the EU

After five years of negotiations between the European Commission, the Council, and the European Parliament, the EU institutions have finally found an agreement on the changes to be made to the legislation relating to the fishing industry control regime under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Beyond the need to update the provisions in force to align them with the aims of the 2013 CFP reform, the Commission proposed in 2018 several changes to the regulation aimed at remedying certain shortcomings that emerged in the implementation of the control measures. As explained in the Aguilera report of the European Parliament - “a coherent, clear, transparent, fair and robust enforcement of the common fisheries policy will not just help to foster a dynamic fishing industry and ensure a fair standard of living for fishing communities, but it will also contribute to the achievement of sustainability in the fisheries sector and the attainment of biodiversity objectives”. 

This paper highlights the most significant innovations contained in this final agreement, adopted by the Council on 13 November 2023. It considers these new provisions in the context of the EU Green Deal, as well as other measures related to the conservation of marine biodiversity and the restoration of nature.