In today's stakeholder consultation on the opinion “Common Fisheries Policy, the European Ocean Pact and the Union’s maritime and aquaculture policy as part of the National and Regional Partnership Fund” rapporteur Thibaut Guignard (FR/EPP), Mayor of Ploeuc-l’Hermitage, warned that the proposed €2 billion envelope risks leaving the EU without a credible fisheries policy in 2028–2032
The discussion focused on the Commission proposal presented in July 2025, which integrates fisheries into the NRPP architecture while maintaining an independent legal basis linked to the Common Fisheries Policy, with the stated aim of ensuring continuity of conditions and alignment with the European Ocean Pact and emerging governance challenges.
A central concern raised during the meeting was the proposed budgetary envelope of €2 billion for maritime affairs, fisheries and aquaculture, which participants viewed as insufficient compared to the €6.1 billion available under the previous programming period, particularly given the additional climate, energy, social and geopolitical pressures impacting Europe’s maritime sectors.
The rapporteur highlighted that: “We all already agree that €2 billion is insufficient—plainly insufficient compared to the €6.1 billion allocated in the previous period. With €2 billion there is no real fisheries policy—barely enough to fund statistics and data collection.”
During the session, stakeholders highlighted:
✅ the need for stable, predictable and adequate funding
✅ place-based solutions reflecting sea-basin realities (including the Mediterranean)
✅ stronger socio-economic alignment alongside environmental objectives
✅ robust ocean & fisheries data collection for evidence-based decisions
✅ fair competition and regulatory coherence for operators and communities
The opinion will aim to ensure that EU-level action reflects territorial realities, supports effective multi-level governance, and strengthens Europe’s maritime and food systems in a period of heightened strategic uncertainty.
Next steps:
• 4 February 2026: exploratory debate in the CoR NAT Commission
• 21 April 2026: adoption in the CoR NAT Commission
• 1–2 July 2026: expected final adoption in the CoR Plenary Session
