Rationale and design of the programme
The European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) supports the common fisheries policy, the EU maritime policy and the EU agenda for international ocean governance.
As a global ocean actor and a major producer of seafood, the EU has a responsibility to protect and sustainably use the oceans and their resources. This is also in its socioeconomic interest regarding the availability of food supplies, the competitiveness of the maritime economy and the livelihood of coastal communities.
In this respect, the EMFAF for 2021-2027 supports the common fisheries policy, the EU maritime policy and the EU’s international commitments for international ocean governance. Such support is an enabler of sustainable fisheries and the conservation of marine biological resources, of food security through the supply of seafood products, of the growth of a sustainable blue economy and of healthy, safe, secure, clean and sustainably managed seas and oceans. It also contributes to the achievement of the United Nations’ sustainable development goal (SDG) 14 (‘conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources’), to which the EU is committed.
The EMFAF provides EU financial support for the objectives of the common fisheries policy, which seeks to manage the EU fishing fleet and fish stocks efficiently and sustainably. It also supports the implementation of the EU’s maritime policy and the strengthening of international ocean governance. A sustainable blue economy boosts investment, jobs and growth, fosters research and innovation and contributes to energy security through ocean energy. Moreover, safe and secure seas and oceans are essential for efficient border control and for the global fight against maritime crime, thereby addressing citizens’ security concerns.
The EMFAF also contributes to the implementation of the European Green Deal, and in particular the farm-to-fork strategy and the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, along with the EU strategy for adaptation to climate change.
The EMFAF supports the common fisheries policy, the EU maritime policy and the EU agenda for international ocean governance under the following four priorities:
- fostering sustainable fisheries and the restoration and conservation of aquatic biological resources;
- fostering sustainable aquaculture activities and processing and marketing fisheries and aquaculture products, thus contributing to food security in the EU;
- enabling a sustainable blue economy in coastal, island and inland areas and fostering the development of fishing and aquaculture communities;
- strengthening international ocean governance and enabling seas and oceans to be safe, secure, clean and sustainably managed.
The EMFAF also contributes to the implementation of the European Green Deal, and in particular to the farm-to-fork strategy and the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, including their external dimension, but also for the preparation of the EU strategy for adaptation to climate change.
The EMFAF regulation defines four distinct priorities for the programme.
Under priority 1, the EMFAF should ensure that fishing activities are environmentally sustainable in the long term and managed in a way that is consistent with the objectives of achieving economic, social and employment benefits and of contributing to the availability of food supplies. In particular, it aims to achieve and maintain sustainable fishing based on the maximum sustainable yield and to minimise the negative impacts of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem. This support includes innovation and investment in low-impact, climate-resilient and low-carbon fishing practices and techniques.
Under priority 2, the fund may support the promotion of sustainable aquaculture and the marketing, quality and added value of fishery and aquaculture products, along with the processing of these products.
Under priority 3, it may support action that contributes to enabling sustainable blue economies in coastal, island and inland areas and to fostering the sustainable development of fishing and aquaculture communities.
Under priority 4, the EMFAF may support actions to strengthen international ocean governance and enable safe, secure, clean and sustainably managed seas and oceans through the promotion of marine knowledge, maritime surveillance and coastguard cooperation.
The EMFAF runs from 2021 to 2027 and supports the EU common fisheries policy, the EU maritime policy and the EU agenda for international ocean governance.
It provides support for developing innovative projects ensuring that aquatic and maritime resources are used sustainably.
As a global ocean actor and a major producer of seafood, the EU has a responsibility to protect and sustainably use the oceans and their resources. It is also in the EU’s socioeconomic interest to guarantee the availability of food supplies, the competitiveness of the maritime economy and the livelihood of coastal communities.
The fund helps achieve sustainable fisheries and conserve marine biological resources. This leads to food security through the supply of seafood products, the growth of a sustainable blue economy and healthy, safe and sustainably managed seas and oceans. It also helps achieve the UN’s SDG 14 (‘conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources’), to which the EU is committed. Furthermore, the EMFAF helps fulfil the objectives of the European Green Deal, the road map for the EU’s climate and environmental policies.
The EMFAF is managed mainly under shared management (87% of the budget allocation), under the rules of the common provisions regulation(1). Thus, the EMFAF shares common rules with the other EU Structural and Investment Funds covered by the regulation, providing for common objectives, principles and rules relating to planning, programming, monitoring and reporting. The EMFAF further specifies details within this framework, including the common result indicators, types of interventions and climate coefficients that must be used when planning and reporting.
The remaining part of the financial envelope (13%) is implemented through direct or indirect management modes. The direct management part of the fund is either managed directly by the European Commission or delegated to an executive agency. This part of the fund finances common-fisheries-policy-related projects, market intelligence, scientific advice, a sustainable blue economy and international ocean governance, along with contributions to international organisations or to the functioning of the advisory councils. The budget under direct management has the same set of common result indicators and principles as shared management, to allow full and consistent reporting on the achievements of the EMFAF.
(1) Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy.
The EMFAF builds on the experience of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for 2014-2020, with a simplified structure, giving Member States more control and with a new focus on strengthening international ocean governance.
Programme website:
Impact assessment:
- the impact assessment for the Commission’s proposal for the 2021-2027 EMFF was carried out in 2018;
- for further information please consult: https://europa.eu/!Un66pR.
Relevant regulation:
Evaluations:
- the Commission has carried out a midterm evaluation of the direct management component of the EMFF(2).
- the Commission will carry out an ex post evaluation of the EMFF by the end of 2024 to examine the EMFF’s effectiveness and efficiency, coherence with other policies, relevance and EU added value. It aims to identify:
- how the fund achieved the objectives for each EU priority;
- how well it responded to crises and market disruptions; and
- the factors that contributed to the success or failure of its investments.
The study underpinning this evaluation is in progress;
- the Commission will also carry out a midterm evaluation of the EMFAF by the end of 2024 to examine the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, and EU added value of the fund. The study underpinning this evaluation is in progress.
(2) Commission staff working document – Interim evaluation of the direct management component of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (SWD(2020) 221 final).
Budget
Budget programming (million EUR):
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Financial programming:
- EUR 103.8 million (- 2%)
compared to the legal basis*
* Top-ups pursuant to Article 5 of the multiannual financial framework regulation are excluded from financial programming in this comparison.
- Though the financial envelope in the adopted EMFAF legal act is EUR 6 108 million, EUR 26 million has been diverted to finance the needs of the European Fisheries Control Agency. In addition, the amount of EUR 14 million was transferred from the Cohesion Fund (DG Regional and Urban Policy) to EMFAF in accordance with the adopted partnership agreement C(2022)4777. Also, the amount of EUR 11.2 million was transferred from EMFAF to the Border Management and Visa Instrument (DG Migration and Home Affairs) according to the adopted partnership agreement C(2021)5617. And finally, in early 2024, following the political agreement on the midterm revision of the multiannual financial framework, the amount of EUR 105 million has been redeployed from EMFAF direct management (the total EMFAF financial envelope has been reduced by EUR 105 million).
Budget performance – implementation
Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):
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Voted budget implementation (million EUR)(*):
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Implementation of the EMFAF:
- Up to 30 June 2023, EUR 328 million of EMFAF support (6%) has been committed for 1 767 operations implemented under shared and (in)direct management. 96% of all operations are implemented under EMFAF priorities 1 and 2. However, priorities 3 and 4 have a relatively higher proportion of their allocations already committed (19% and 21% respectively).
- With regard to shared management, the EMFAF regulation and the common provisions regulation were both adopted in mid-2021. In total, 25 of the 26 EMFAF programmes of the Member States were adopted by the end of 2022, with commitment and pre-financing in the same year. The 26th and final EMFAF programme was adopted in March 2023, completing the adoption process for all Member States.
- In 2023, a total of EUR 43.1 million had been paid by the Commission to the Member States under share management (EUR 26.7 million of pre-financing and EUR 16.4 million of payments related to cost claims).
- When it comes to direct and indirect management, all commitment appropriations in the year 2023 from the European Commission voted budget representing EUR 94 million have been implemented. This has resulted in various initiatives being launched in the fields of maritime policy, scientific advice, international ocean governance, voluntary contributions to regional fisheries organisations and contributions to the initiatives managed by the United Nations agencies.
Contribution to horizontal priorities
Green budgeting
Contribution to green budgeting priorities (million EUR):
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EMFAF programmes do not finance taxonomy-relevant expenditure, as the programmes focus on the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the marine environment, with no corresponding fisheries category covered by the taxonomy regulation. However, the EMFAF is strongly linked with the preservation and restoration of marine biodiversity for healthy ecosystems, and makes an expected contribution of 30% to biodiversity. Furthermore, the EMFAF is structured in such a way that all operations financed fall under the ’do no significant harm’ principle on which the taxonomy is based.
Contribution to green budgeting priorities.
- As of June 2023, approximately 449 operations under shared management worth EUR 100 million (71% of EMFAF support) dealt with climate change and mitigation. The contribution of the EMFAF to EU climate and environmental objectives is tracked through the application of environmental and climate markers and reported on regularly within the monitoring framework of the fund.
- From all EMFAF contributions covered by the above table, the estimated amounts stemming from operations under direct and indirect management account for EUR 216 690 771 for climate change (in 2021-2027) and EUR 331 801 897 for biodiversity (in the same period).
No EMFAF data are available in respect of clean air.
Gender
Contribution to gender equality (million EUR) (*):
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| Gender disaggregated information: |
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- A score of 0* is assigned. Of the EMFAF support provided as of June 2023 (EUR 328 million), 97% (EUR 319 million) was provided to legal persons. The EUR 9 million in support to natural persons comprised EUR 4.7 million for those who defined themselves as male, EUR 3.1 million for non-defined and EUR 0.13 million for female, with EUR 1.2 million attributable to multiple individuals. In terms of the number of operations, however, slightly more than one third were attributed to natural persons, with a predominance of male beneficiaries.
- The contribution to gender equality is estimated at EUR 106.5 million under the EMFAF (2021-2027 programming period).
- Fishing and fish processing are male-dominated activities in Europe (3). Men provide the main labour force on board fishing vessels, and most fishing boats and aquaculture farms are owned by men (4).
- However, women play an important role in the fisheries sector, especially in small-scale family businesses. Either they are involved in the fishing activity itself – on board or on foot as shellfish gatherers – or they support the business through onshore activities such as fishing-gear preparation and maintenance, transporting fish to auctions, sales, administration, logistics or even the development of tourist activities (5). This work is not always recognised. According to a study (6) for the European Commission, the share of unpaid women in fisheries (6.6%) is almost double their share of total employment (3.8%). However, this level of employment is an underestimate, as the existing statistical data show employment within the fisheries sector only if this employment is declared and remunerated.
- Gender inequality in the fisheries sector is influenced by the following set of factors (7):
- participation of women and men in fisheries subsectors;
- women’s invisible work in the fisheries sector;
- women’s participation in decision-making.
- The EU’s fisheries policy promotes sustainable fish stocks and sustainable marine ecosystems as a precondition for a competitive European fishing industry. Although the gender-equality dimension is not present in the EMFAF in the form of gender-specific objectives and measurable gender commitments, the fund covers broader gender-related aspects in line with the equality provisions set out in the common provisions regulation.
- Under direct management, the EMFAF currently supports two ‘women in the blue economy’ projects aiming to (1) increase women’s participation in blue economy sectors, (2) improve data collection on gender distribution, (3) increase visibility, awareness and recognition of women’s role in the blue economy and (4) strengthen women’s leadership, to the amount of EUR 2.5 million. The projects WIN-BIG and Winblue (8) were launched in May 2023.
- Furthermore, in accordance with Article 46 of the EMFAF regulation on the monitoring and evaluation framework, the managing authority provides the Commission with relevant operation-level implementation data, including key characteristics of the beneficiary (name, type of beneficiary, size of enterprise, gender and contact details). Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/79 sets out the format: for each operation, a specific data field covering gender for natural persons must be filled in. One code must be selected from a list. This ex post submission can be used to estimate an approximate financial contribution relevant to gender and to identify examples of operations Member States consider to be gender relevant in the area of fisheries, in line with the relevant requirements of the common provisions regulation. The current score of 0* will be reassessed as such data become available.
(3)https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-7-2014-0070_EN.html?redirect.
(4)https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/policy-areas/maritime-affairs-and-fisheries.
(5)https://epthinktank.eu/2021/10/15/women-in-fisheries/.
(7) https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/policy-areas/maritime-affairs-and-fisheries.
(8) Project websites: Winblue – https://winblue-project.eu/; WIN-BIG https://winbigproject.eu/
Digital
Contribution to digital transition (million EUR):
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- The following types of intervention have been identified under EMFAF shared management as contributors to the digital transition: control and enforcement; data collection and analysis; and promotion of marine knowledge, maritime surveillance and security. Under direct and indirect management there are two contributors: control and enforcement; and market intelligence. All contributors have a contribution rate of 40% of their respective financial envelope.
- The digital contribution envisaged for the EMFAF programmes (shared management component) amounts to EUR 464 million, or 9%, of the total allocation to the Member States (for the 2021-2027 programming period). The digital contribution relating to EMFAF operational expenditure under direct and indirect management is estimated at EUR 30 million (for the same period).
- Under the shared management mode, the digital contribution is linked to three specific types of intervention: 10 (‘Control and enforcement’); 11 (‘Data collection and analysis, and promotion of marine knowledge’); and 12 (‘Maritime surveillance and security’). All have been assigned a digital coefficient of 40%.
- As of 30 June 2023, EUR 82.7 million had been committed (type of intervention 10 – EUR 15.5 million; type of intervention 11 – EUR 67.2 million) and EUR 6.3 million paid (type of intervention 10 – EUR 1.8 million; type of intervention 11 – EUR 4.5 million). Following the methodology, the EMFAF digital contribution under shared management thus far amounts to EUR 33 million (in commitments) and EUR 2.5 million (in payments).
- A further EUR 16.7 million in respect of control and enforcement has been committed under (in)direct management, of which EUR 11.6 million has been paid. This would add a further EUR 6.7 million (commitments) and EUR 4.6 million (payments) to the digital contribution.
Budget performance – outcomes
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Link to file with complete set of EU core performance indicators
- As regards synergies between funds, the primary aim is to help fishing communities strengthen their resilience, to innovate and to adapt. This includes making better use of the support available through EU funding instruments, in particular support for innovation and the diversification of economic activities, support for the energy transition and increasing gear selectivity. The funds to be used for that purpose are primarily the EMFAF and the LIFE programme. They have a central role in supporting the policy objectives for climate and biodiversity. Moreover, the Commission works closely with Member States to make sure that each programme contributes to achieving the horizontal targets set out in the multiannual financial framework for these objectives.
- As regards synergies between political priorities, of the 16 types of intervention set out in Annex IV of the EMFAF regulation, three (numbers 10, 11 and 12) simultaneously cover climate, biodiversity and digital priorities. A further eight cover both climate and biodiversity (with identical coefficients). As of June 2023, approximately 70% of the EMFAF amounts committed, and 60% of the EMFAF amounts paid, were within the scope of these priorities.
- Other (potential) sources of funding include Horizon Europe, the European Regional Development Fund (including Interreg), the European Social Fund Plus, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the Connecting Europe Facility and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Member States should use these strategically, increase national funding and encourage investment from the private sector to channel support for the transition, for example smart specialisation strategies for a sustainable blue economy. Furthermore, targeted training and upskilling programmes run with EU support under Erasmus+, EMFAF or the European Social Fund Plus could also help build bridges with other blue economy sectors, such as algae production and regenerative sea farming, renewable energy and sustainable aquaculture.
- An initial picture of EMFAF performance is beginning to emerge. Based on the position as at 30 June 2023 (the most recent validated information available), EUR 328 million (6.1% of the total EMFAF allocation) of EMFAF support has already been committed to 1 767 operations implemented under shared management (12 Member States) and direct and indirect management.
- At the level of EMFAF priorities, the highest commitment rates can be observed for EMFAF priorities 3 (‘Enabling a sustainable blue economy in coastal, island and inland areas, and fostering the development of fishing and aquaculture communities’) and 4 (‘Strengthening international ocean governance and enabling seas and oceans to be safe, secure, clean and sustainably managed’), with commitments in euro of 18.6% and 21.1% respectively of the total available allocations for these priorities (shared and (in)direct management combined).
- For shared management at the level of specific objectives the highest commitment rates can be observed for specific objectives 5.1 ‘Technical assistance’ and 1.4 ‘Control and data collection’, with 8.8% and 7.4% respectively of the total available allocations to these specific objectives.
- Expenditure (and thus performance) remains limited at this early stage in the EMFAF operational cycle.
- With regard to direct and indirect management, as the initiatives implemented since 2021 provide for smooth continuity from the EMFF to and throughout the EMFAF, the following assessment covers both EMFF and EMFAF activities without distinction.
Priority 1 (fostering sustainable fisheries and the restoration and conservation of aquatic biological resources).
- Scientific advice is an essential element to assist in decision-making under the common fisheries policy. The provision of scientific advice to the relevant EU bodies and institutions and some regional fisheries management organisations (notably the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission) has been ensured by renewing the various contractual and administrative arrangements in place with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries and the Joint Research Centre.
Regional fisheries management organisations are key vectors for the promotion of sustainable fisheries under international law. Among other things, voluntary contributions to regional fisheries management organisations of which the EU is a member assisted in the development of scientific knowledge and science-based management decisions; promoted compliance and the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; and further improved fisheries governance in the various regions and the performance of those organisations.
Priority 2 (fostering sustainable aquaculture activities and processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products, thus contributing to food security in the EU).
- The Commission has financed several initiatives, including a new aquaculture assistance mechanism, that assist the Commission in implementing the strategic aquaculture guidelines, and further developed the EU Aquaculture Assistance Mechanism website created in 2022 as a central repository and one-stop shop for knowledge on and support for aquaculture in the EU. It also financed a contract for the continuation of the operations of the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products, which provides market intelligence for the EU fisheries and aquaculture sectors as requested under the common market organisation regulation. These initiatives are ongoing, and continually provide the Commission and our stakeholders with relevant data, analyses and advice focusing on economic, operational and social aspects of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of its operators and the maritime economy and fully achieving their objectives.
Priority 3 (enabling a sustainable blue economy in coastal, island and inland areas and fostering the development of fishing and aquaculture communities).
In 2023, the fund financed three cross-border maritime spatial planning projects in the EU, with the goal of supporting the adaptation of Member States’ maritime spatial plans to new needs and challenges, in particular integrating into their plans the European Green Deal and related initiatives in areas such as biodiversity, food, energy and mobility. By launching the Blue Forum for sea users in May 2023, the Commission aimed to increase stakeholder involvement in maritime spatial planning and coordinate the dialogue between stakeholders in different blue economy sectors to develop synergies between their activities and reconcile competing uses of the sea. In September 2023, the Commission launched the MSP global 2.0 project, through indirect management with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to advance maritime spatial planning processes worldwide. Since 2021, European Maritime Day, a flagship event on the sustainable blue economy, has gathered together a wide range of European stakeholders to discuss matters of common interest.
The European Marine Observation and Data Network has continued to provide marine data on a findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable basis, resulting in annual benefits of between EUR 150 million and EUR 400 million (3) through increased productivity and innovation for users of the data and reduced uncertainty on the state and dynamics of our seas and oceans.
In 2023, the Commission also financed an initiative in the blue economy called the ‘blue economy observatory’, which has recently become operational and will continue to provide relevant economic analysis, data and knowledge in the years to come.
The Commission continued to finance the consolidated assistance mechanism to support regional cooperation in the Atlantic, the Black Sea and the western Mediterranean to support the implementation of the three EU sea basin strategies, building on best practices and lessons learned from the past service contracts and encouraging synergies between the various sea basins. Since 2021, the Commission has also funded the operation of the Union for the Mediterranean’s Working Group on Sustainable Blue Economy through a dedicated grant, thus contributing to the development of related projects in the wider Mediterranean region. During the same period, the programme renewed support for the ocean literacy initiative EU4ocean and, through indirect management by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, supported ocean literacy at the international level. Through EMFAF calls for proposals, the Commission has provided support on a wide range of blue economy topics and sectors. In 2021, it launched a first call for proposals supporting flagship projects to achieve the goals of the relevant sea basin strategy.
Through EMFAF calls for proposals published in 2022, it awarded grants to projects relating to women in the blue economy, targeting gender inequalities in the different sectors of the blue economy. The same year, the Commission also launched a call for blue careers, aiming to further support skills associated with the sustainable development of the blue economy, and a second call for regional flagship projects to support cooperation on EU sea basins, which started its activities in autumn 2023.
The fund continued to support investment in the sustainable blue economy in the EU via the BlueInvest platform, which provides investment-readiness and fundraising assistance to innovative blue-economy small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups.
Additionally, since 2021, EMFAF has contributed a thematic financial instrument blended with guarantees under the investEU programme and contributions from the European Investment Bank family for a sustainable blue economy. It is expected to leverage substantial equity investment from other private and public investors for European blue-economy entrepreneurs by 2028.
Most of the initiatives under this priority have started recently, and will be rolled out in the medium term, which does not allow for a meaningful assessment of their achievements and performance at this point. However, as regards the continuation of existing activities, significant and positive results have already been achieved. Some examples of these achievements are as follows: providing investment readiness assistance and support to dozens of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups in the blue economy and connecting them with prospective investors; successful and continued support for regional cooperation in the Atlantic, Black Sea and western Mediterranean via sea basin strategies; contributions to ocean literacy and the promotion of sustainable management of the ocean via EU4ocean coalition. Where relevant, all these new or continued EMFAF initiatives build on previous achievements and lessons learnt.
Priority 4 (strengthening international ocean governance and enabling seas and oceans to be safe, secure, clean, and sustainably managed).
The programme continued to promote the objectives of the EU’s international ocean governance agenda by providing support to international organisations, regional and sectoral bodies, and entities that are active in promoting the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans.
The initiatives strengthened the engagement of the EU in the Arctic region and in the EU Ocean Partnership with Canada and the Ocean Partnership Forum with China. They also continued targeting important scientific gaps identified through work and policies on the deep seas (sustainable seabed knowledge initiative).
The second Marine Regions Forum conference, held in Tanzania in November 2023, aimed to support the implementation of SDG 14 in the western Indian Ocean and advance dialogue between regional actors. This conference focused on various themes, such as tackling the triple planetary crisis, fostering the sustainable blue economy, implementing global goals at the regional level (the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction) and strengthening regional ocean governance.
In line with the EU’s international ocean governance objectives, under which the EU is committed to encourage the creation of an intergovernmental science–policy interface for ocean sustainability, the Commission has commissioned a study to map existing science-policy organisations, processes and global ocean assessments that support the sustainable management of the ocean in line with SDG 14. The main results of the study are that ocean knowledge production is distributed across processes and organisations in a fragmented manner, and the connection between the scientific and policymaking communities, and civil society, remains surficial. This is a key inhibitor to agile responses for the ocean, including SDG 14. The study concludes that such a science–policy interface could provide a new catalytic mechanism to inform public and private decision-makers about sustainable use and protection of the ocean.
The continued support provided for the development and maintenance of the European Marine Observation and Data Network has resulted in steady progress in terms of users and products since 2018, reaching the level of an operational service and making it a valuable EU asset, offering thousands of datasets across seven thematic disciplines (bathymetry, biology, chemistry, geology, seabed habitats, physics and human activities) to a variety of users, reaching an average of more than 12 000 users per month in 2023. This network, in collaboration with Copernicus marine, will be the backbone of the European Digital Twin Ocean, a platform to revolutionise the use of marine knowledge for policymaking, blue economy development and societal ocean literacy.
In October 2022, a grant (for a period of 24 months) was awarded to a consortium of eight Member States (with France as the lead, along with Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Finland), including several maritime sectors (customs, navies, maritime safety, coastguard authorities, data providers, hydrographic offices), to work with the objective of shifting the common information sharing environment from the transitional phase to the operational phase. Service identification and definition have been accomplished, while service implementation is progressing on the basis of eight scenarios identified by participants. Trials (operational validation) are expected to start in April 2024, and the results are expected to be delivered by October 2024.
The Commission also launched a flagship call in 2023 on submerged munitions in the Baltic Sea to prepare the ground for concrete actions to mitigate the threat to human health and safety, and the environment. Since 2021, the Commission has also been funding two annual grants, one of which supports the chairmanship of the European Coastguard Functions Forum and the other the Mediterranean Coastguard Functions Forum.
(3) Commission staff working document – Interim evaluation of the direct management component of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) (SWD(2020) 221 final).
MFF 2014-2020 – European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
The EMFF is the fund for the EU's maritime and fisheries policies for 2014 to 2020, and is one of the five complementary European Structural and Investment Funds promoting a growth- and jobs-based recovery in the EU. The fund helps fishers in the transition to sustainable fishing, supports coastal communities in diversifying their economies, finances projects that create new jobs and improve quality of life along EU coasts and makes it easier for applicants to access financing.
Budget
Cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2023 (million EUR):
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- By the end of December 2020, all appropriations available under the EMFF had been successfully committed. As of January 2021, no further commitments were possible for the EMFF. The implementation of the programme was at full speed in 2023, in terms of both the part of the fund executed under direct management action and the part implemented by the Member States.
- Payments claimed by beneficiaries continued to advance financing by the end of 2022 approximately 112 000 operations. DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries continues to monitor the implementation closely and encourages the Member States to accelerate the fund absorption.
- The cumulative EMFF amount decommitted between 2018 and 2022 totals EUR 131.6 million.
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Link to file with complete set of EU core performance indicators
- The challenges posed by COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have not prevented an increase in jobs maintained (both actual and planned) in the aquaculture sector. The EMFF regulation was modified twice to provide exceptional crisis support to the operators from the seafood supply chain.
- There has been a significant increase in the number of small-scale vessels supported, from 7516 to 13 684. A similarly encouraging increase is also seen in the number of SMEs supported (2022 – 86 969; 2021 – 69 585). The level of employment (jobs) maintained with support in the EMFF reached 61 521 in 2022, comfortably exceeding the target of 41 665.
- For initiatives implemented under direct and indirect management, see the ‘Performance assessment’ section for the EMFAF above.
- The initiatives under shared management continue to help improve the sustainability of fishing and aquaculture, to maintain and protect the natural environment, to encourage innovation and the adoption of new technology and to increase cooperation and partnerships between businesses, Examples are provided below.
- For the objective of promoting competitive, environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially responsible fisheries and aquaculture, the programme financed an on-farm aquaculture system designed to reduce the environmental impact of food production, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and integrate crop production. The company supplies spawning fish to the farm and then buys back mature fish to either fillet, mince, or smoke them in their own facilities. It is possible to produce sustainable food in a circular process, where waste from the fish is used as fertiliser on the surrounding fields;
- For the objective of fostering the implementation of the common fisheries policy, the programme financed a project to develop an AI-based tool for the fully documented fisheries project, which can improve the processing of catches on board, reduce the workload of the crew and lessen the administrative burden. It can also monitor total catches in real time by size, species and weight, and generate detailed data that can be used for scientific purposes, stock estimates, research and fisheries policy.
- For the objective of promoting a balanced and inclusive territorial development of fisheries and aquaculture areas, the programme financed a project which promoted the consumption of underused species, thereby increasing local fishers’ incomes.
- For the objective of fostering the development and implementation of the EU’s integrated maritime policy in a manner complementary to cohesion policy and the common fisheries policy, the programme financed a project which provided vital information about two MPAs and about the presence as well as distribution of both indigenous and non-indigenous species. The survey design ensured a representative spatial coverage of the two research areas and sufficiently covered all the habitat types: soft substrate (sandy expanses), hard substrate (reefs) and seagrass meadows (i.e. Posidonia oceanica).
Sustainable development goals
Contribution to the sustainable development goals
| SDG | Example |
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| SDG1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere | The EMFF contributes to SDG 1 by contributing to the improvements of the economic results of the EU fisheries sector, and to the improvements of the living standards of the coastal populations which depend on that sector; allowing operators to modernise their productive tools, to diversify their sources of income or to switch to alternative economic activities. E.g. a Danish producer organisation and its members want to ensure that their label is a success and that it benefits small-scale coastal fishers as much as possible. Their main goal is to ensure the future of Denmark’s small-scale, low-impact coastal fishery and create better access to the market for sustainably caught fish. |
| SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture | By promoting the conservation of the marine living resources and the protection of the marine ecosystem, the EMFF contributes to the sustainability of the production of the EU fisheries sector of healthy quality food, and thus to SDG 2 and SDG 3. E.g. in the Vigo-A Guarda FLAG area, shellfish gatherers are working with local wine producers and a forestry association to turn seaweed – once a nuisance to their activity – into a valuable and sustainable resource: quality compost. This project has improved the working conditions of seafaring labour through mechanisation. It also provided an opportunity for a variety of local stakeholders to cooperate in the transformation of unvalued, raw material into an eco-friendly solution for local farmers, creating a potential new income source for local shellfish and wine producers. |
| SDG3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages | See above, SDG 2. |
| SDG5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls | See the section on gender equality above |
| SDG14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development | The main objective of the EMFF is to support the implementation of the common fisheries policy and the integrated maritime policy, thereby contributing first and foremost to SDG 14. The EMFF funds projects on preserving the marine environment and ensuring better resource efficiency, and operations related to better management of Natura 2000 areas. E.g. The Mondego Mar FLAG financed a project to bring some unused saltpans back into use to produce an aquaculture product which is highly coveted by restaurateurs: the sea urchin, also known as ‘Portuguese caviar’. |