The post-2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund: how to ensure that EU financial aid serves the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy?

ClientEarth argues that the post-2020 EMFF must avoid capacity-enhancing subsidies and instead prioritize marine biodiversity restoration, data collection, and fisheries control. The briefing criticizes the European Commission's proposal for reducing prescriptive eligibility rules and reintroducing harmful subsidies for vessel renewal and cessation schemes, which contradicts EU international commitments under UN SDG 14 and WTO negotiations. Key recommendations include ring-fencing 25% of budgets for biodiversity and control, strengthening conditionality to include environmental law violations, and limiting funding to SMEs and low-impact aquaculture.

• The post-2020 EMFF Proposal is criticized for reducing the list of eligible measures and delegating the definition of eligibility conditions to Member States, which ClientEarth argues risks a lack of a "level playing field for fishers across the EU" and may lead to funding for measures counterproductive to the CFP.
• ClientEarth recommends that Member States ring-fence at least 25% of their available resources for the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity and ecosystems, and a further 25% of budgetary resources for data collection and control measures.
• The briefing opposes the reintroduction of subsidies for the renewal of the fishing fleet, including engine replacements and the acquisition of vessels for new fishers, stating these are "capacity-enhancing subsidy" that contradict EU commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 14) and WTO agreements.
• ClientEarth argues against funding for permanent and temporary cessation of fishing activities, noting that scrapping schemes can paradoxically encourage fishers to stay in business by allowing the reinvestment of premiums into new or modernized vessels.
• The document recommends strengthening the 'conditionality' principle so that financial aid is denied not only for 'serious infringements' of the CFP, but also for violations of EU environmental laws, specifically the Birds, Habitats, and Marine Strategy Framework Directives.
• To improve funding efficiency, ClientEarth suggests that large enterprises should generally be ineligible for aid, except for specific projects regarding selective gear, the landing obligation, or documented fisheries, while preferential support should be increased for SMEs.
• The briefing proposes that funding for aquaculture should be restricted to activities proven to have a low impact on the environment, such as recirculating or natural extensive aquaculture systems.

APA

ClientEarth (2018). The post-2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund: how to ensure that EU financial aid serves the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy? https://www.clientearth.org/media/5foliato/the-post2020-european-maritime-and-fisheries-fund-how-to-ensure-that-eu-financial-aid-serves-the-objectives-of-the-common-fisheries-policy-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. The post-2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund: how to ensure that EU financial aid serves the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy? 2018. https://www.clientearth.org/media/5foliato/the-post2020-european-maritime-and-fisheries-fund-how-to-ensure-that-eu-financial-aid-serves-the-objectives-of-the-common-fisheries-policy-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=The post-2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund: how to ensure that EU financial aid serves the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy? |date=July 2018 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/5foliato/the-post2020-european-maritime-and-fisheries-fund-how-to-ensure-that-eu-financial-aid-serves-the-objectives-of-the-common-fisheries-policy-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2018post2020, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{The post-2020 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund: how to ensure that EU financial aid serves the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy?}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2018}, month = jul, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/5foliato/the-post2020-european-maritime-and-fisheries-fund-how-to-ensure-that-eu-financial-aid-serves-the-objectives-of-the-common-fisheries-policy-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }