Common Fisheries Policy reform (2013)
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| Common Fisheries Policy reform (2013) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Common Fisheries Policy reform (2013) |
| Caption | European Parliament debates on fisheries reform |
| Date | 2013 |
| Jurisdiction | European Union |
| Outcome | Landing Obligation; regionalisation; discard ban; multiannual plans |
Common Fisheries Policy reform (2013) The 2013 reform of the Common Fisheries Policy was a comprehensive overhaul designed to address stock depletion, discard practices, and governance of European Union fisheries. It introduced the Landing Obligation, regional decision-making, and multiannual management plans to reconcile objectives set by the Lisbon Treaty with commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The reform sparked debate among member states such as Spain, France, United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark and involved institutions including the European Commission, European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union.
Background and objectives
The reform emerged from long-standing disputes rooted in fisheries crises referenced during meetings of the European Council and analyses by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Pre-2013 instruments like the 2002 and 2009 CFP regulations had failed to prevent overfishing in waters adjacent to North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Atlantic Ocean fishing grounds exploited by fleets from Portugal, Ireland, Netherlands, and Belgium. Objectives drew on scientific advice from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries and political mandates from the European Parliament rapporteurs to achieve Maximum Sustainable Yield as endorsed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and to implement the discard reduction targets advocated by Greenpeace and WWF.
Key provisions and policy changes
Major provisions included a phased-in Landing Obligation banning most discards, the establishment of multiannual plans replacing single-stock measures, and a regionalisation framework devolving implementation to coastal states and regional groups such as the North Sea Advisory Council and the Mediterranean Advisory Council. The reform revised access rules between EEZs of member states and adjusted Total Allowable Catches negotiated annually among the Council of Ministers following scientific advice from ICES. It introduced social objectives reflected in funding reallocations via the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and strengthened compliance mechanisms administered by the European Fisheries Control Agency.
Implementation and governance
Implementation relied on cooperation among the European Commission, European Fisheries Control Agency, national fisheries ministries of Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and regional organisations like the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas where relevant for shared stocks. The regionalisation provisions enabled groups such as the North West Waters Regional Advisory Council to develop technical measures, while the Court of Justice of the European Union retained jurisdiction over legal disputes. Enforcement combined vessel monitoring systems mandated through the Fishing Vessel Monitoring System interoperability with port inspections coordinated under the Port State Measures Agreement principles and supported by fisheries control frameworks from Norway and Iceland where bilateral arrangements existed.
Environmental and fisheries impacts
Environmental aims included rebuilding stocks to levels consistent with Maximum Sustainable Yield, preserving habitats under the Habitats Directive and improving ecosystem-based management in line with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The discard ban sought to reduce waste and bycatch of species such as cod, herring, anchovy, and bluefin tuna while promoting selective gear innovations tested through pilot projects with fleets operating from Brittany, Galicia, and Shetland Islands. Scientific assessments by ICES and conservation NGOs like BirdLife International and Oceana reported mixed outcomes: some stocks showed signs of recovery, whereas others—particularly mixed demersal assemblages in the Mediterranean Sea—remained overexploited.
Economic and social effects
Economic consequences affected fleets from Scotland, Cornwall, Brittany, and Andalusia, with short-term profit impacts due to reduced discards, quota constraints, and costs for gear modification. Social effects manifested in coastal communities reliant on artisanal fleets in Cantabria and Normandy, where employment shifts led to calls for structural support coordinated through the European Social Fund alongside the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. Markets and processors in port cities such as Boulogne-sur-Mer, Vigo, and Grimsby adapted supply chains, while fishers’ organisations like the European Association of Fisheries Producers Organisations lobbied for measures to mitigate economic displacement.
Political negotiation and stakeholder responses
Negotiations engaged national delegations from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Romania balancing coastal state interests against fleet interests represented by Several Professional Organisations. The European Parliament rapporteurs and committees brokered compromises with the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, amid pressure from NGOs like Friends of the Earth and industry bodies including the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation. Protests, stakeholder consultations, and legal challenges arose from member state ministries and regional authorities, leading to derogations and phased implementation schedules negotiated through trilogues.
Evaluation and legacy
Post-2013 evaluations by the European Court of Auditors, ICES, and academic centres such as Wageningen University and Plymouth University concluded the reform established a stronger legal framework for sustainable fisheries but faced implementation gaps at national and regional levels. The Landing Obligation drove technological innovation and greater emphasis on data collection exemplified by projects co-funded with the Horizon 2020 programme, while persistent disputes over quota allocation and mixed-stock management continue to shape subsequent CFP adjustments and bilateral accords with third countries like Mauritania and Morocco. The reform remains a reference point in global fisheries governance dialogues at the United Nations and in comparative studies on resource co-management.