Commission seeks feedback on targeted amendment of EMFAF

The European Commission is seeking feedback for a possible targeted amendment to the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), aiming to make it simpler and more flexible. The consultation also seeks to align the fund with the EU’s implementation of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. The call for evidence runs for four weeks on the Commission’s Have Your Say portal, with a submission deadline of 21 July. The Commission asks EU member states, fishing and aquaculture stakeholders, the broader value chain, civil society, academia, and citizens to provide evidence on where EMFAF rules hinder investment and how they could be streamlined for the remainder of the 2021–2027 programming period. It cites a mid-term evaluation indicating that halfway through the period some rules are difficult to apply and certain funding opportunities are seen as too rigid. A second strand focuses on trade rules to complete transposition into EU law of the WTO agreement, which entered into force on 15 September 2025 and requires aligning EU legal frameworks so EU funding cannot support prohibited activities.