Regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) are international bodies formed by non-EU countries and international organisations (i.e. the EU) with fishing interests in the same region or in the same (group of) species. Within these bodies, non-EU countries and the EU collectively set forth science-based binding measures such as catch and fishing-effort limits, technical measures and control obligations to ensure conservation, along with ensuring the fair and sustainable management of shared marine resources.

Today, the majority of the world’s seas are covered by RFMOs. They can broadly be divided into RFMOs that manage only highly migratory fish stocks, mainly tuna, and RFMOs that manage other fish stocks (i.e. pelagic or demersal). The collective efforts and work of RFMOs mean that stocks have improved significantly over the past few years. Under the external policy of the common fisheries policy (CFP), one of the main objectives of the EU is to contribute to sustainable fishing and support scientific knowledge in RFMOs.

RFMOs are open both to the coastal states of a region and to countries that fish or have other fisheries-related interests in that region. Represented by the European Commission, the EU plays an active role in five tuna RFMOs, 12 non-tuna RFMOs, regional fisheries bodies that have a purely advisory role and other organisations. This makes the EU the most prominent actor in RFMOs and fisheries bodies worldwide.

A transparent, coherent and mutually beneficial tool that enhances fisheries governance for sustainable exploitation, fish supply and the development of the fisheries sector with partner countries.

The sustainable fisheries partnership agreements that the European Union signs with non-EU countries provide specific EU funds to the partner country in exchange for fishing activities on the part of EU vessels. They allow EU vessels to fish in a partner country’s exclusive economic zone. Tuna agreements allow EU vessels to target and catch highly migratory fish stocks; mixed agreements give them access to a wide range of fish stocks, especially groundfish species (mainly shrimps and cephalopods) and pelagic species.

An important part of the financial contribution – sector support – addresses the development of the fisheries, maritime and marine sectors. Partnership agreements are a win–win instrument for the EU and for the partner countries.

To ensure sustainable fishing, EU vessels are only allowed to target surplus resources that the partner country is not willing to fish or not capable of fishing. In exchange, the EU pays a fee for the right to access the partner country’s exclusive economic zone, and provides sectoral support tailored to the partner country’s needs. This support aims to reinforce fisheries governance, strengthen administrative and scientific capacities, foster monitoring and control activities, and support small-scale fisheries, thereby leading to improved sustainability. In addition, EU vessel operators pay a licence fee for access. The burden of payment is shared between the EU and the industry.

Today, sustainable fisheries partnership agreements set the standard for international fishing policy. They are all centred on resource conservation and environmental sustainability, with EU vessels subject to strict supervision and transparency rules. All protocols contain a clause concerning the respect for human rights in the partner country.

The agreements are negotiated and concluded between the Commission, on behalf of the EU, and the partner country. Transparency and accountability are the driving principles of the negotiation process; the texts of the agreements are public and open to the scrutiny of other public institutions and civil society.

The EU has had fisheries agreements with Norway and the Faroes since the late 1970s, and with Iceland since the early 1990s.

The agreement with Norway covers the joint management of shared fish stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak areas, notably through total allowable catches and quotas, within the framework of longterm management strategies that ensure sustainable fisheries. It also includes an annual exchange of fishing possibilities, guaranteeing the continuation of traditional fishing patterns.

The agreements with the Faroes and Iceland are based solely on the annual exchange of fishing possibilities in each other’s waters, although no exchange of quotas has taken place with Iceland since the 2008 fishing season.

Illegal fishing is a major threat to global marine resources. It depletes fish stocks, destroys marine habitats, distorts competition, puts honest fishers at an unfair disadvantage and destroys the livelihoods of coastal communities, particularly in developing countries.

It is estimated that the value of illegally caught fish amounts to around EUR 10 billion each year, corresponding to almost 20 % of the value of the world’s catches.

As the world’s largest importer of fisheries products, the EU has adopted an innovative policy to fight against illegal fishing worldwide:

• firstly, by not allowing fisheries products to access the EU unless they are certified as legal (the catch certification scheme);
• secondly, by holding flag, coastal, port and market states responsible for their international obligations in the fight against illegal fishing (dialogues and cooperation).

The EU regulation on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing entered into force on 1 January 2010. It relates to EU Member States and non-EU countries alike, applies to all vessels that commercially exploit fisheries resources destined for the EU market and covers all fishery products imported into the EU (with a few exemptions).

The catch certifications scheme under the IUU regulation has helped to improve the EU’s capacity to identify and deny permission for the import of fishery products from IUU sources. It allows Member States to better verify and, if appropriate, refuse imports into the EU. This is reinforced by a system for sharing intelligence, the annual publication of the EU IUU vessel list and CATCH, an IT system designed to support checks by Member States under the catch certification scheme.

Under the IUU regulation, the EU can enter into a structured process of dialogue and cooperation with those non-EU countries that have problems meeting international IUU rules, with the aim of helping them undertake the necessary reforms (see the illustration).

The IUU process explained

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In this context, since 2010 the EU has entered into dialogue with over 60 non-EU countries. Thanks to this cooperation, more than 50 non‑EU countries have improved their systems and have committed to join the EU in fighting IUU fishing.

All EU fishing vessels are governed by a legal framework and a control system that apply anywhere they fish through the regulations on fisheries control, sustainable management of external fishing fleets and IUU.

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Illegal fishing

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The EU accounts for around 6% of total fisheries production worldwide, which is similar to previous years.

Although the EU fleet operates worldwide, catches are taken primarily in the North-East Atlantic. The most-fished species are Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, sand eel and European sprat, which together account for almost 40% of EU catches.

The leading Member States in terms of fishing volume are Spain, Denmark, the United Kingdom and France, which combined account for over half of EU catches.

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Aquaculture is a significant activity in many Member States, producing around 1.3 million tonnes in volume and more than EUR 5 billion in value. Of total world aquaculture production, EU occupies a share of 1.23% in terms of volume and 2.29% in terms of value. Mediterranean mussels make up around a quarter of the total volume farmed in the EU, while Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout together represent just under a third of the total value.

The main aquaculture-producing Member States in terms of volume are Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Greece.

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Despite an increase in production costs, the fish processing industry in the EU is generally profitable.  Overall turnover is over EUR 32 billion with Spain, France and the United Kingdom as the main contributors.

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Producer organisations (2019)

Fishermen and fish farmers may join forces through producer organisations to make their production sustainable and to market their products efficiently. They do so by developing production and marketing plans. These organisations are key actors in fisheries and aquaculture. In 2019, there were 215 producer organisations across 19 Member States.

Advisory councils

Advisory councils are stakeholders' organisations made up of representatives from the industry and from other interest groups (which respectively have 60% and 40% of the seats in the general assembly and the executive committee). Their purpose is to submit recommendations on issues related to fisheries and aquaculture to the Commission and the Member States. Advisory councils may also provide information for the development of conservation measures, while Member States are to consult them in the context of regionalisation.

As they pursue an aim of general interest for the EU, advisory councils receive financial assistance from the Commission to cover part of their operational costs.

In addition to the seven existing advisory councils (Baltic Sea, Long Distance Fleet, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, North-Western Waters, Pelagic Stocks, South-Western Waters), the latest CFP reform established four new advisory councils for the Black Sea, Aquaculture, Markets and Outermost Regions. The first three are already operational, and the last is in the process of becoming fully operational.

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In the EU the total expenditure for fishery and aquaculture products in 2018 reached EUR 55.2 billion. Italy registered the highest level of expenditure with EUR 11.6 billion, followed by Spain (EUR 9.8 billion) and France (EUR 8.5 billion).

On average, expenditure for fishery and aquaculture products represents 6% of the total expenditure for food products in the EU. The highest ratio is observed in Portugal (17%) and the lowest in Hungary (less than 1%). At the EU level, expenditure for meat products and for fruits and vegetables both represent 23% of total food expenditure.

Animal proteins make up 58% of individual protein intake (60.38 g per day), while vegetal proteins cover the remaining 42% (43.47 g per day).

Household expenditure for purchasing fish and seafood (2018)
(million EUR)

	/fisheries/file/facts6meatjpg_enfacts6_meat.jpg Alt Text :  meat MEAT	/fisheries/file/facts6fishjpg_enfacts6_fish.jpg Alt Text :  fish and seafood FISH	/fisheries/file/facts6vegetablesjpg_enfacts6_vegetables.jpg Alt Text :  other FRUITS, vegetables, POTATOES
EU-28 average	222 077	55 197	214 526
BE	7 205	1 620	4 706
BG	1 214	175	1 179
CZ	3 830	380	2 819
DK	3 165	637	2 533
DE	33 212	5 406	37 788
EE	485	137	403
IE	2 005	293	1 916
EL	4 719	1 294	4 739
ES	21 336	9 827	17 344
FR	36 352	8 522	32 974
HR	1 672	264	1 044
IT	34 322	11 573	33 504
CY	334	81	362
LV	543	126	522
LT	1 403	367	1 054
LU	364	133	254
HU	2 645	140	1 915
MT	136	51	146
NL	7 352	1 269	7 848
AT	3 914	694	3 326
PL	9 743	1 005	9 112
PT	4 236	3 698	4 060
RO	11 197	914	6 731
SI	770	81	756
SK	1 969	257	1 303
FI	2 145	647	2 344
SE	4 295	1 324	5 171
UK	21 513	4 283	28 674

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The supply of fisheries and seafood products to the EU market is ensured by the EU’s own production and by imports, leading to a total of 14.61 million tonnes available for human consumption in 2017. In the same year, the "apparent consumption", obtained by subtracting exports from this figure, was 12.45 million tonnes.

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Self-sufficiency can be expressed as the ratio between own production (catches plus aquaculture) and total apparent consumption. In 2015, the EU's self-sufficiency rate stood at 43%, i.e. people living in the EU consumed roughly twice as much as they produced.

The EU’s production covers more than two thirds of its consumption of pelagic fish and more than half of its consumption of molluscs. It is more dependent on external sourcing for salmonids, crustaceans and other fish.

The European Union’s self-sufficiency rate (2017)
(percentage by commodity group)