A decade with the “2013” Common Fisheries Policy: Charting Progress, Navigating Challenges

The document evaluates the 2013 Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), noting that while the share of stocks exploited at or below Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) rose from 50% in 2014 to 63% in 2022, environmental and socio-economic progress remains uneven. It highlights a disparity in the fishing fleet where small-scale coastal fisheries saw net profits grow by 131.9% between 2013 and 2023, while large-scale and distant water fisheries saw profits fall by 244.5% and 90.6% respectively, despite receiving significantly higher operating subsidies. The authors argue that current failures are due to implementation gaps rather than framework flaws, calling for the prohibition of capacity-enhancing subsidies, the protection of 30% of EU seas via a proposed European Ocean Act, and a shift toward low-impact, decarbonised fishing gear.

• Environmental progress under the CFP has been uneven; although the proportion of assessed stocks exploited at or below Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) increased from 50% in 2014 to 63% in 2022, many populations remain below healthy biomass levels or lack a healthy age and size distribution.
• The landing obligation has failed to meet its goals, with no evidence of improved selectivity and an increase or stagnation in the capture of undersized fish across the North Sea, the Baltic, and South Western Waters.
• There is a stark economic divide in the EU fishing fleet: small-scale coastal fisheries (SSCF) are the most profitable and least subsidy-dependent, while large-scale and distant water fisheries are increasingly reliant on subsidies despite falling profits.
• Governance and enforcement gaps persist, exemplified by 4.4 million hours of apparent bottom trawling in protected areas across seven European countries between 2015 and 2023.
• The document recommends that the upcoming European Ocean Act, expected by late 2026, should mandate the legally binding protection of 30% of EU seas, including a 10% strict protection target.
• The authors propose a 50/50 split for the future fisheries budget under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), dividing funds equally between supporting the transition to low-impact practices and the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems.

APA

ClientEarth (2026). A decade with the “2013” Common Fisheries Policy: Charting Progress, Navigating Challenges. https://www.clientearth.org/media/x11nmnq5/cfp_charting-progress-navigating-challenges_september-2026.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. A decade with the “2013” Common Fisheries Policy: Charting Progress, Navigating Challenges. 2026. https://www.clientearth.org/media/x11nmnq5/cfp_charting-progress-navigating-challenges_september-2026.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=A decade with the “2013” Common Fisheries Policy: Charting Progress, Navigating Challenges |date=September 2026 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/x11nmnq5/cfp_charting-progress-navigating-challenges_september-2026.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2026decade, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{A decade with the “2013” Common Fisheries Policy: Charting Progress, Navigating Challenges}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2026}, month = sep, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/x11nmnq5/cfp_charting-progress-navigating-challenges_september-2026.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }