L'UE conclude due tipi di accordi di pesca con i paesi extra UE:

• accordi di partenariato nel settore della pesca – l'UE fornisce un sostegno tecnico e finanziario, in genere ai paesi partner meridionali, in cambio dei diritti di pesca
• i cosiddetti "accordi nordici" – gestione congiunta degli stock comuni con Norvegia, Islanda e Isole Fær Øer.

Sustainable fisheries partnership agreements (SFPA)

EU SFPAs infographic  (Available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, Published 2015)

EU Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements  (Available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, Published 2020)

• Tuna agreements – allow EU vessels to pursue migrating tuna stocks as they move along the shores of Africa and through the Indian Ocean.
• Mixed agreements – provide access to a wide range of fish stocks in the partner country's exclusive economic zone.

In exchange, the EU pays the partner countries a financial contribution composed of 2 distinct parts:

• access rights to the EEZ
• sectorial support which aims to promote sustainable fisheries development in the partner countries, by strengthening their administrative and scientific capacity through a focus on sustainable fisheries management, monitoring, control and surveillance

The EU has currently 8 SFPAs protocols in force with third countries:

• 6 tuna agreements: Ivory Coast, Senegal, Liberia, Seychelles, Cook Islands and Mauritius. Cabo Verde and The Gambia should enter into force before summer 2019.
• 2 mixed agreements: Mauritania and Greenland. Morocco and Guinea Bissau are due to enter into application before summer 2019.

The EU has also 7 "dormant" agreements with Gabon, Sao Tomé e Principe, Madagascar, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, Micronesia, Solomon Island. "Dormant agreements" stand for countries which adopted a fisheries partnership agreement without having a protocol in force. EU vessels are therefore not allowed to fish in waters under the regime of the dormant agreements. Comoros agreement, which was also dormant, is currently being denounced.

Accordi nordici

Le attività di pesca dell'UE nel Mare del Nord e nell'Atlantico nordorientale sono strettamente collegate a quelle dei paesi limitrofi (Norvegia, Islanda e Isole Fær Øer). Poiché molti degli stock migrano attraverso le frontiere e sono quindi considerati una risorsa comune, ai quattro partner conviene coordinare le loro attività, soprattutto perché le rispettive flotte non sono necessariamente interessate agli stessi stock.

Molti stock vengono gestiti in maniera congiunta ed è previsto lo scambio dei contingenti per evitare sprechi. Per alcune risorse si applica la Convenzione intergovernativa sulla pesca nell'Atlantico nordorientale, mentre per altre valgono gli accordi tra Stati costieri.

Si tratta di accordi molto importanti per gran parte della flotta dell'UE, in particolare l'accordo con la Norvegia, che riguarda contingenti di valore superiore a due miliardi di euro.

The agreement with Iceland is "dormant".

List of fisheries agreements

Northern agreements

Historical and legal context of the bilateral agreements

The European Economic Community concluded its first bilateral fisheries agreements in the late 1970's. More than 30 other bilateral agreements were concluded until today mainly with developing States in Africa or in the Pacific. The negotiation of fisheries bilateral agreements resulted from the adoption of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which establishes a legal sovereignty for coastal states over living marine resources in maritime zones within 200 nautical miles from their baselines (the "Exclusive Economic Zone"). As a result, the conclusion of bilateral agreements with third countries appeared necessary to give European Union fleets access to fish stock surplus that are not used by the coastal states' local fleets.

The Common Fisheries Policy, especially its external dimension, establishes a legal framework for EU fishing activities outside the European waters.