BETTER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CFP IS NEEDED TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES BY 2020

The document identifies significant gaps in the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), noting that overfishing persists due to catch limits exceeding scientific advice and weak compliance with the landing obligation. It highlights the under-utilization of the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for monitoring and selective fishing, and warns against the reintroduction of harmful subsidies. The authors urge EU decision-makers to align conservation measures with environmental directives and adopt robust monitoring to protect marine ecosystems and fish populations.

• Implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has been insufficient across all major themes, with national marine strategies lacking concrete objectives and European institutions failing to meet CFP requirements regarding sustainable fishing and biodiversity conservation.
• Overfishing continues because catch limits are set above scientific recommendations, and there is weak adherence to the landing obligation introduced in 2015.
• The European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is significantly underspent regarding the protection of marine habitats and the funding of selective fishing; only one Member State has used more than 50% of its EMFF allocation to collect vessel data and control practices like discarding.
• There is a lack of systematic monitoring for fishing impacts within Marine Protected Areas and for the bycatch of sensitive species.
• Current negotiations regarding the future of the EMFF risk reintroducing harmful subsidies that were previously phased out 15 years ago, which could worsen overfishing.

APA

ClientEarth (n.d.). BETTER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CFP IS NEEDED TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES BY 2020. https://www.clientearth.org/media/xp5jzpmx/ngo-factsheet-for-meps-on-the-cfp-coll-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. BETTER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CFP IS NEEDED TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES BY 2020. n.d. https://www.clientearth.org/media/xp5jzpmx/ngo-factsheet-for-meps-on-the-cfp-coll-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=BETTER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CFP IS NEEDED TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES BY 2020 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/xp5jzpmx/ngo-factsheet-for-meps-on-the-cfp-coll-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearthndbetter, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{BETTER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CFP IS NEEDED TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES BY 2020}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/xp5jzpmx/ngo-factsheet-for-meps-on-the-cfp-coll-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }