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Spanish Fishing Sector Agrees with Minister Planas to Defend a Specific and Strengthened Fund for Fishing in the EU

EUROPEAN UNION
Friday, September 12, 2025, 06:00 (GMT + 9)

The €2 billion allocation proposed by Brussels for fishing represents a 67% cut from the €6.1 billion of the previous period.

According to the sector, cutting fishing funds while increasing the overall EU budget contradicts the strategic priorities expressed by the European Commission to strengthen the competitiveness and strategic autonomy of the Union.

The Spanish fishing sector, represented by CEPESCA, today asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, to firmly defend a specific and reinforced fund for fishing within the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 at the European Council. At the meeting, which was also attended by other representative organizations from the sector, they agreed to establish a common front to defend this demand.

It should be noted that the allocation proposed by Brussels for fishing is limited to €2 billion compared to the €6.1 billion of the current European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF, in force until 2027), which represents a 67% cut in a context where the overall EU budget is increasing.

Furthermore, at the meeting, CEPESCA warned Planas that the European Commission's legislative proposal, which establishes a single budget for agriculture and fishing in its article 10, does not specify any amount for the sector as of today and demands its formal clarification.

According to the fishermen, the fusion of budgets with other concepts relegates fishing to a secondary, marginal role without its own financial instrument. In their opinion, this contradicts the EU's strategic priorities, which proclaim the need to strengthen the competitiveness and strategic autonomy of the Union.

Therefore, the sector also requested that the future budgetary framework establish mandatory minimum allocations for fishing, so that resources are not diluted in competition with other sectors, and that it guarantees harmonized co-financing that allows for the modernization, sustainability, and safety of the fleet under equal conditions among Member States.

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Also, during the meeting, the fishermen insisted on the importance of Spain coordinating its position with other countries with a great fishing tradition such as France, Portugal, Italy, and Ireland, in order to articulate a common front that guarantees fair treatment for a sector that is essential for food, coastal employment, and the strategic autonomy of Europe.

The sector insisted that fishing constitutes one of the few truly common policies of the EU and that a Common Fisheries Policy without a specific fund is not understood, “since it can open the door for resources to be diluted.” This risk is compounded by the possible mandatory alignment with the European Ocean Pact, which would orient part of the resources towards blue economy sectors other than fishing, such as marine energy, biotechnology, or desalination.

In addition, CEPESCA warned that the absence of mandatory co-financing mechanisms for vessels over 12 meters would leave the decision on this aid in the hands of each Member State, creating an obvious risk of unfair competition within the EU itself.

Finally, the organization conveyed to Planas the serious repercussions that the disappearance of a specific financial instrument for fishing would have, including the loss of employment in coastal communities, the weakening of the fleet against international competition, the reduction of European fishing production with the consequent increase in the price of fish and an increase in dependence on imports, as well as a lower capacity to meet sustainability and energy transition objectives.

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