The European Commission’s roadmap for fisheries and aquaculture is being framed by the sector not as another policy milestone, but as a decisive test of whether Europe is willing to unlock growth in aquaculture after more than two decades of stagnation.
The FEAP has welcomed the Vision 2040 initiative, but warns that its success will depend on whether it moves beyond administrative simplification to address the structural constraints that have held back production across the EU.
At the centre of the debate is a clear divergence in diagnosis. While the Comisión Europea has prioritised reducing red tape and improving coordination, the sector argues that these are not the root causes of stagnation.
Instead, industry stakeholders point to an increasingly complex and restrictive regulatory framework — particularly in environmental policy — that has limited access to new farming sites and made expansion difficult across Member States.
“European aquaculture is at a critical juncture. After 25 years of stagnation, Vision 2040 is the last real chance to build a competitive, sustainable, and strategically relevant sector,” said Javier Ojeda, FEAP’s Secretary General.
Beyond regulatory complexity, the sector also highlights structural gaps in governance. Aquaculture remains positioned between fisheries and agriculture, without a clearly defined policy framework, resulting in fragmented decision-making and inconsistent implementation across Europe.
In response, industry representatives are calling for a dedicated aquaculture policy capable of aligning objectives, regulation and delivery at EU, national and regional levels.
The debate is further sharpened by the EU’s growing dependence on imports. With around 70% of aquatic food consumption sourced from outside the Union, aquaculture is increasingly viewed by the sector as a matter of strategic autonomy rather than simply an environmental or regulatory issue.
Against this backdrop, FEAP warns that a narrow focus on simplification risks missing the scale of the challenge.
“But this cannot be another empty exercise. If the Commission delivers a timid document that ignores the real obstacles, it will only deepen the paralysis. We need boldness, not rhetoric,” Ojeda added.
For the FEAP, the outcome of Vision 2040 will ultimately depend on whether it delivers concrete direction — including production targets, policy coherence and a credible implementation pathway — or remains another high-level strategy with limited impact on the ground.
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