The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) has issued a clear warning about the European Union’s aquaculture governance model. More than a one-off criticism of Brussels, the document reflects an open challenge to the way voluntary tools used over the past decade have failed to drive the growth of European aquaculture.
FEAP considers it particularly significant that the European Commission’s own evaluation admits that instruments such as the Multiannual National Strategic Plans for Aquaculture and the Open Method of Coordination have had only a “limited impact” on two of the sector’s main bottlenecks: licensing and access to marine and coastal space.
More than a decade of voluntary coordination has failed to drive the growth of European aquaculture.
For the organisation, this shows that the model based on recommendations and political coordination between Member States has failed. FEAP is therefore calling for a new phase based on binding mechanisms, harmonised standards and mandatory targets for authorisations, environmental reporting and aquaculture planning.
Licensing and access to marine and coastal space remain the two main bottlenecks holding back new aquaculture projects in Europe.
The background to the debate is economic and strategic
According to FEAP, European self-sufficiency in fishery and aquaculture products has fallen from 46.1% to 38.1%, while for the five most consumed species it stands at only 12%. The organisation warns that the EU cannot speak of strategic autonomy while becoming increasingly dependent on imports of farmed fish from countries such as Norway, Türkiye and China.
FEAP also points out that regulatory fragmentation, slow administrative procedures and a lack of coherence between different environmental regulations continue to create legal uncertainty and hold back investment in new European aquaculture projects.
The position also comes at a key moment, as work progresses on the future “2040 Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture”.
If Europe wants to recover production capacity and reduce external dependence, aquaculture will have to move from voluntary coordination to binding governance.
The European sector considers that if Europe wants to recover production capacity and reduce its external dependence, aquaculture will have to move from voluntary coordination to genuinely binding governance.
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