EU fisheries at a crossroads: NGOs warn against reform as Baltic collapse exposes failure to enforce existing rules

CCB • April 30, 2026

Failure to implement EU fisheries law, not gaps in the policy itself, has pushed the Baltic Sea to the brink. Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB) urges immediate action to rebuild Baltic fish populations and restore ecosystems.

Uppsala, 30 April 2026 — CCB today responded to the European Commission’s evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) [1], warning that reopening the law would risk years of delay while Europe’s seas, especially the Baltic, continue to deteriorate.


“The Commission’s evaluation should be a turning point. It clearly shows that the problem is not the policy, but how it is applied. The priority now must be to use this assessment to identify where Member States are falling short and ensure the rules are fully implemented,” said Cathrine Pedersen Schirmer, Senior Fisheries Policy Advisor at CCB.


The Commission’s own findings reinforce this conclusion. The evaluation confirms that the CFP remains a relevant and comprehensive framework, and that many of the gaps identified are linked to failures in fully implementing its provisions, rather than shortcomings in the policy itself. It points in particular to persistent weaknesses in control and enforcement, as well as uneven compliance across Member States, which continue to undermine the achievement of key sustainability objectives 


Nowhere is this clearer than in the Baltic Sea, the starkest warning in Europe of what happens when the CFP and other fisheries regulations are not enforced. Fishing limits have repeatedly been set above scientific advice [2]. The two cod populations have collapsed and the fishery is closed. In 2025 alone, ministers increased [3] the sprat quota by 45% despite historically low recruitment, and raised central Baltic herring quotas by 15% even as stocks remained in poor condition [4]. Safeguard provisions under the Baltic Multiannual Plan [5] have been overridden, and emergency measures underused [6].


“This is not a failure of the policy, it is a failure of political will. While the Baltic Sea is under pressure from multiple human-induced factors, fisheries decisions remain central to the crisis. Time and again, decisions have overridden science, ignored ecosystem warning signs and delayed recovery,” continued Cathrine Pedersen Schirmer.


CCB therefore calls on the European Commission and EU Member States to close the gap between commitments and reality by strengthening enforcement, applying ecosystem-based fisheries management, and fully implementing existing legislative tools to rebuild fish populations, particularly in the Baltic Sea.


“The tools are already there. The question is whether there is the political will to use them,” Cathrine Pedersen Schirmer concluded.

- END 


Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB)  – Is a politically independent, non-profit association, with over 1 500 000 members in all countries around the Baltic Sea. The main goal of CCB is to promote the protection and improvement of the Baltic Sea environment and its natural resources for present and future generations. More info at: www.ccb.se 


Notes to editors:


Contacts:


Cathrine Pedersen Schirmer, Senior Fisheries Policy Advisor: Cathrine@ccb.se

Federica Pastore, Communication Officer: federica.pastore@ccb.se

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