Brussels, 29 September 2026
Fisheries, 29 September 2026
EU support to fisheries, aquaculture and maritime policy for 2028-2034
The Council today reached a partial negotiating position on a regulation setting out the conditions for the EU’s support for the common fisheries policy (CFP), the EU’s maritime and aquaculture policies, and the European ocean pact for the 2028-2034 period.
The agreement sets out the Council’s position on the future framework for EU financial support to those policies and complements the provisions of the national and regional partnership plans (NRPP) regulation.
Financial and horizontal issues will be taken up in the context of overarching legislative proposals when finalising the negotiating position. These are currently being discussed as part of the negotiations on the overall multiannual financial framework (MFF) covering the period 2028 to 2034.
Today’s agreement gives us a solid basis for shaping the future of EU support to our fisheries sector. We need to give our fishermen and women the tools to modernise and adapt to the challenges ahead, including the energy transition. We need to do so while ensuring that public funding contributes to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sectors and recognises our international commitments.
Martin Heydon – Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland
The Council’s position aims to provide a good balance between supporting the competitiveness, modernisation and resilience of the EU fisheries sector, while ensuring the sustainability of fish stocks and compliance with the EU’s international obligations.
European maritime, fisheries and aquaculture fund
Following a presentation by the Commission, the Council held a policy debate on the recently published proposal to amend the regulation governing the European maritime, fisheries and aquaculture fund (EMFAF), the EU’s dedicated financial instrument for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors for the 2021-2027 period.
Ministers broadly welcomed the objectives of the proposal, which seeks to simplify implementation of the EMFAF, and facilitate access to funding for fishers and aquaculture producers. They also welcomed its aim to accelerate the energy transition of the EU fishing fleet and support generational renewal in the sector, while maintaining the necessary flexibility. In their interventions, ministers stressed the importance of progressing the proposal swiftly so that the sector can benefit from simplified procedures without delay. A large majority of ministers also noted that the proposed changes represent a good basis, but insisted that more ambitious and far-reaching amendments were needed.
The proposal builds on the mid-term evaluation of the EMFAF regulation and responds to previous discussions in the Council on the need to make the fund easier to implement, strengthen support for small-scale operators and promote generational renewal in the sector. The targeted amendment also transposes the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on fisheries subsidies into EU law.
Management of shared fish stocks with the UK, Norway and coastal states
In the context of the annual cycle of fishing opportunities consultations for the coming year, the Council discussed the management of fish stocks shared with counterparts in the Atlantic and North Sea. During the meeting, ministers provided political guidance on the EU’s position for the consultations, due to take place between October and November.
In particular, the Council discussed the management of fish stocks shared with the United Kingdom in 2027. Ministers also discussed the upcoming bilateral EU-Norway consultations on fishing opportunities in 2027, while a number of stocks are managed trilaterally by the EU, Norway and the UK. Annual consultations with coastal states will also take place.
The Commission will conduct the consultations with the UK, Norway, and the coastal states on behalf of the EU, with the aim of reaching an agreement in time for the December AGRIFISH Council meeting. The EU’s position in the upcoming consultations will be based on the best available scientific advice issued primarily by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), and it will reflect the objectives of the common fisheries policy.
- International agreements on fisheries (background information)
- Fish stocks shared between the EU and the UK (background information)
Other points
- Strengthening the external dimension of EU fisheries in the context of the 2040 vision for fisheries and aquaculture (information from Spain, on behalf of France, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain)
- Modernisation of the EU fishing fleet (information from France, on behalf of Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain)
- African swine fever (information from Finland)
- Goat and sheep diseases (information from Romania, on behalf of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece and Romania )
Agriculture, 28 September 2026
Post-2027 common agricultural policy (CAP)
The Council took stock of the progress made so far on the post-2027 CAP regulation and provided further political guidance on the outstanding issues. The Irish presidency aims to advance work on the proposal, with a view to reaching a partial general approach (PGA) at the AGRIFISH Council meeting on 26-27 October 2026.
Today’s discussion has brought us another step closer to agreeing a CAP that is fit for the future. Farmers need a policy that provides stability and a fair income, while giving them the flexibility and support to respond to the challenges ahead. We have provided clear political guidance on the issues that remain open, and we will continue working intensively to find common ground and deliver a Council partial general approach in October.
Martin Heydon – Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland
Ministers broadly welcomed the progress made so far, in particular the stronger balance between common EU rules and the flexibility needed to address different national circumstances. Overall, they shared the determination of the Irish presidency to swiftly take work forward towards reaching a partial Council position. At the same time, they called for simplified rules to ease the administrative burden for both farmers and national administrations, as well as for increased flexibility for provisions related to degressivity of direct payments and capping, which are being addressed in the context of the MFF negotiating box. Several ministers also called for further finetuning when it comes to the definitions of “farmer” and “active farmer”, as well as for clarifications regarding the transition between the EU’s current long-term budget and the new period.
Overall, the discussion provided political guidance for the next stage of negotiations, with technical work to continue on this basis.
- Post-2027 CAP (background note)
- The common agricultural policy explained (background information)
- The EU’s long-term budget (background information)
Market situation
Ministers discussed the current challenges facing the EU agricultural sector, in particular in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, with a view to providing further political guidance on how to address these challenges.
The first part of the discussion took place in the presence of the Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Taras Vysotskyi. The Council welcomed the Ukrainian minister and the opportunity to hear directly about the situation in Ukraine. Ministers stressed the importance of continuing to support Ukraine and expressed their strong support for Ukrainian farmers.
Several ministers noted a slight improvement or stabilisation in agricultural markets overall. However, many continued to highlight the challenges faced by farmers, including high input and production costs, particularly for fertilisers and energy, as well as lower output prices, which are putting pressure on farmers’ profit margins.
Ministers also discussed the impact of the heatwaves experienced during the summer and the resulting severe drought conditions in several member states. These conditions have affected farmers and, in particular, the volume and quality of agricultural production. Against this backdrop, ministers exchanged views on possible targeted measures, flexibility and EU support to help farmers address the impacts of severe drought, in both the short and the longer term. Ministers also considered how the EU could further adapt agricultural practices and water management strategies to better protect the agricultural sector from extreme weather events.
Strengthening the resilience of the agricultural sector in the face of crises and geopolitical developments was a common theme throughout the discussion.
- The impact of the drought in Slovakia (information from Slovakia)
- The impact of the ongoing drought on Austrian and European agriculture (information from Austria)
- The increasing impact of the drought on the Slovenian and European agriculture sector (information from Slovenia)
- The impact of drought in Croatia and the EU (information from Croatia)
Informal lunch
Over a working lunch, ministers discussed the medium- and long-term aspects of the European Commission’s fertiliser action plan.
Published on 19 May 2026, the plan aims to improve the short-term affordability and availability of fertilisers, strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy and domestic resilience over the medium and longer term, and enhance transparency and dialogue across the fertiliser supply chain.
The plan sets out a range of actions for the short, medium and long term. Immediate measures to ease pressure on fertiliser production costs and prices and help secure supplies for farmers have already been implemented. These include increasing the 2026 agricultural reserve, and adopting a regulation establishing a new liquidity scheme for farmers, providing greater flexibility for advance payments, as well as giving member states the option to adjust their direct payment allocations for 2027.
Against this backdrop, ministers welcomed the Commission’s fertiliser action plan and exchanged views on the priority actions needed to ensure the availability and affordability of fertilisers for EU farmers, while strengthening the resilience of the sector.
Other points
- The outcome of a recent MED9 meeting (information from Croatia)
- Transitional national aid (information from Romania, on behalf of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia)
- Agricultural reserve use for the olive oil sector (information from Italy)
- The importance of the common market organisation for fruit and vegetables (information from Belgium)
Meeting files
- List of A items, legislative deliberations
- List of A items, non-legislative activities
- Provisional agenda
- Background brief
Outcome documents
Press releases
- MFF 2028-2034: Council agrees negotiating position on future EU support for the fisheries sector
- Human rights violations in Russia: Council lists ten individuals over the barring of Yabloko from the State Duma elections
- EU sanctions 10 individuals and 17 entities over unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia
- EU CSDP civilian missions: Council renews mandates of EUBAM Rafah and EUPOL COPPS until 30 June 2027
- ‘Pharma package’: Council adopts new rules for a fairer and more competitive EU pharmaceutical sector
- Social security coordination: Council gives final green light to updated rules
MFF 2028-2034: Council agrees negotiating position on future EU support for the fisheries sector
Brussels, 29 September 2026
The Council today reached a partial negotiating position on a regulation setting out the conditions for the EU’s support for the common fisheries policy (CFP), the EU’s maritime and aquaculture policies, and the European ocean pact for the 2028-2034 period.
The agreement sets out the Council’s position on the future framework for EU financial support to those policies and complements the provisions of the national and regional partnership plans (NRPP) regulation.
Financial and horizontal issues will be taken up in the context of overarching legislative proposals when finalising the negotiating position. These are currently being discussed as part of the negotiations on the overall multiannual financial framework (MFF) covering the period 2028 to 2034.
Main elements
Under the proposed framework for the next MFF, EU support for the fisheries and aquaculture sector would be implemented mainly through national and regional partnership plans (NRPPs). The new architecture would replace a number of existing funds, programmes and regulations, including the current European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), with a single funding toolbox. The aim is to simplify and streamline EU funding, provide greater flexibility to member states and strengthen synergies between different policy areas.
The regulation complements the national and regional partnership plans (NRPP) regulation, which sets out rules for programming, implementation, governance and monitoring, as well as the financial framework for the interventions related to the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Therefore, the Council position seeks to ensure consistency with the NRPP regulation and other regulations relevant for the future Union support.
The Council’s position aims to provide a good balance between supporting the competitiveness, modernisation and resilience of the EU fisheries sector, while ensuring the sustainability of fish stocks and compliance with the EU’s international obligations.
Enabling fleet modernisation while safeguarding sustainable fisheries
The Council’s position allows for EU support for fleet modernisation, including investments in existing and new vessels. This will help the sector’s energy transition, improve working conditions aboard vessels, and facilitate generational renewal.
At the same time, the Council included safeguards to ensure that EU funding does not increase pressure on fish stocks. In the case of certain investments in fishing vessels and vessel purchases, the provisions ensure that no additional fishing capacity is introduced without first withdrawing existing fishing capacity, with special rules for small-scale coastal fishing.
Aligning EU fisheries funding with international subsidy rules
The Council’s amendments also ensure that the future EU framework reflects the WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies, binding on the EU since September 2025. This is particularly relevant given the EU’s role in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing globally.
An article on control and data collection was added, to reinforce the importance of both these aspects for the sustainable management of fisheries.
Next steps
The negotiating mandate approved today is the basis for the Council’s presidency to start negotiations with the European Parliament. The overall budget for the programmes for the 2028-2034 period will depend on the final agreement on the next MFF as a whole.
Background
On 16 July 2025 the Commission presented its proposal for a regulation establishing the conditions for implementing EU support for the common fisheries policy, the European ocean pact and the EU’s maritime and aquaculture policy as part of the national and regional partnership fund for 2028-2034.
Under the proposed framework for the next MFF, EU support for the fisheries sector would be implemented mainly through national and regional partnership plans (NRPPs) and the EU Facility.
EU support under the proposed framework would contribute to the following overarching objectives:
- generational renewal in fisheries and aquaculture
- energy transition and decarbonisation of the sector
- sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
- modernisation and innovation
- resilience of coastal communities, including small-scale coastal fisheries
- development of the sustainable blue economy.
- Commission proposal
- Watch the public session
- The EU’s long-term budget for 2028–2034 (background information)
- Common fisheries policy and its goals (background information)
Source – EU Council: Visit the meeting page