Ponta Delgada: Members of the European Parliament want to loosen the rules of the EU fisheries fund, doubling the share of national allocations that governments may spend on fleet support. The Fisheries Committee debated the draft position on 9 November 2026 as part of the revision of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).
Portuguese MEP Paulo do Nascimento Cabral leads the file as rapporteur. French EPP member Isabelle Le Callennec presented the report on his behalf, and its direction is clear. The draft would raise the ceiling for fleet aid and permanent cessation from 15% to 30% of each member state’s envelope.
The rapporteur also wants more room for temporary cessation, which pays crews when boats stay in port. His draft removes the budget caps on that tool and allows its use whenever fishing quotas fall by more than 40%. Coastal communities hit by sharp quota cuts in 2027 would gain a faster safety net.
Several changes target younger fishers. Vessels would need five years on the fleet register instead of ten to qualify for support. Generational renewal aid for a first vessel could cover up to 60% of the cost, a strong incentive in regions such as the Azores, where small boats and ageing crews dominate the harbours.
Not every member welcomed the approach to the EU fisheries fund. Dutch ECR member Bert-Jan Ruissen criticised the decision to keep the 24-metre limit on vessels eligible for some support. Swedish Green Isabella Lövin objected that the draft drops a ban on subsidies for overfished stocks, and she noted that between 40% and 60% of EU stocks remain overfished.
The debate also touched on external fleets. Spanish EPP member Francisco José Millán Mon highlighted the EU-Mauritania fisheries agreement, which expires on 14 November 2026. Iberian and other distant-water vessels depend on such access deals, and any gap in coverage would put more pressure on domestic support.
The revision forms part of the Commission’s simplification drive, which aims to make EU funding faster and easier to use before the next long-term budget. Critics fear that higher subsidy ceilings could keep excess capacity at sea and work against stock recovery. Supporters reply that crews cannot wait for perfect science while quotas shrink.
Money is tight across the board. The current EU fisheries fund runs from 2021 to 2027 with a budget of around €6.1 billion, and national programmes have struggled to spend it on time. Supporters of the revision argue that simpler rules and wider eligibility will help managing authorities in Portugal, Spain and France use the EU fisheries fund before the period closes, rather than return unspent money to Brussels.
The committee will now table amendments before a vote, and Parliament will then negotiate with the Council. Whatever compromise emerges will shape how the EU fisheries fund balances fleet survival against the health of the stocks that fleets depend on.
