Seminar/Webinar
Press briefing "EU fisheries at a crossroads: NGO and low-impact fishers' perspectives ahead of AGRIFISH Council
19 June 2026
Press briefing "EU fisheries at a crossroads: NGO and low-impact fishers' perspectives ahead of AGRIFISH Council
Seminar/Webinar
Biodiversity
Start date: 19 June 2026
End date: 19 June 2026
Time: 9:30-10:30 CET
Place: Online (Zoom)
Address:
Description
The press briefing "EU fisheries at a crossroads: NGO and low-impact fishers' perspectives ahead of AGRIFISH Council", was held on Friday 19 June 2026, 09:30 CEST, online.
Background
One year on from the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) and the European Ocean Pact, Brussels is entering a consequential period for EU fisheries policy. The coming months will see a series of key decisions, from the forthcoming Ocean Act and the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture Vision 2040 package and the launch of a fisheries omnibus, that will shape the future of Europe's seas for years to come.
While the Commission's recent evaluation finds the CFP broadly fit for purpose, it flags significant gaps in implementation and enforcement. As policymakers consider the next steps, NGOs and low-impact fishers are calling for attention to be focused on the effective implementation and enforcement of the existing framework, ensuring that its objectives are fully delivered in practice. With the AGRIFISH Council set to discuss the evaluation and possible next steps, the stakes could not be higher.
Intro & Agenda
This briefing brought together NGO policy experts and the voice of small-scale and low-impact fishers, those whose livelihoods are most directly shaped by the policy choices ahead, to gave journalists a clear picture of the current state of play and the key fault lines to watch. The session was close with a Q&A.
This briefing was open to journalists and was jointly organised by BirdLife Europe, BLOOM, ClientEarth, Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), LIFE, Oceana, Seas At Risk and WWF EU.
Press Briefing Agenda
• 09:30 / Introductions / Chiara Soletti, Senior EU Press Officer, Environmental Justice Foundation
• 09:35 / Overview of the CFP evaluation report / Arielle Sutherland-Sherriff, Policy Officer, Oceana
• 09:41 / Political opportunities to fix fisheries management, governance and funding / Bruno Nicostrate, Senior Fisheries Policy Officer, Seas At Risk
• 09:47 / Bycatch, discards and the landing obligation / Sean Parramore, Senior EU Advocacy Officer, Environmental Justice Foundation
• 09:53 / Low-impact fishers' perspective / Marta Cavallé, Executive Secretary, Low Impact Fishers of Europe
• 10:00 / Q&A with journalists
• 10:25 / Closing remarks / Chiara Soletti, Senior EU Press Officer, Environmental Justice Foundation
• 10:30 / Ends
Recording
The recording of the Q&A session is available here.
Resources
- NGOs position paper: Don't sink the Common Fisheries Policy – fulfil its potential
- CFP campaign: Hold the line on the CFP.
Background
One year on from the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) and the European Ocean Pact, Brussels is entering a consequential period for EU fisheries policy. The coming months will see a series of key decisions, from the forthcoming Ocean Act and the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture Vision 2040 package and the launch of a fisheries omnibus, that will shape the future of Europe's seas for years to come.
While the Commission's recent evaluation finds the CFP broadly fit for purpose, it flags significant gaps in implementation and enforcement. As policymakers consider the next steps, NGOs and low-impact fishers are calling for attention to be focused on the effective implementation and enforcement of the existing framework, ensuring that its objectives are fully delivered in practice. With the AGRIFISH Council set to discuss the evaluation and possible next steps, the stakes could not be higher.
Intro & Agenda
This briefing brought together NGO policy experts and the voice of small-scale and low-impact fishers, those whose livelihoods are most directly shaped by the policy choices ahead, to gave journalists a clear picture of the current state of play and the key fault lines to watch. The session was close with a Q&A.
This briefing was open to journalists and was jointly organised by BirdLife Europe, BLOOM, ClientEarth, Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), LIFE, Oceana, Seas At Risk and WWF EU.
Press Briefing Agenda
• 09:30 / Introductions / Chiara Soletti, Senior EU Press Officer, Environmental Justice Foundation
• 09:35 / Overview of the CFP evaluation report / Arielle Sutherland-Sherriff, Policy Officer, Oceana
• 09:41 / Political opportunities to fix fisheries management, governance and funding / Bruno Nicostrate, Senior Fisheries Policy Officer, Seas At Risk
• 09:47 / Bycatch, discards and the landing obligation / Sean Parramore, Senior EU Advocacy Officer, Environmental Justice Foundation
• 09:53 / Low-impact fishers' perspective / Marta Cavallé, Executive Secretary, Low Impact Fishers of Europe
• 10:00 / Q&A with journalists
• 10:25 / Closing remarks / Chiara Soletti, Senior EU Press Officer, Environmental Justice Foundation
• 10:30 / Ends
Recording
The recording of the Q&A session is available here.
Resources
- NGOs position paper: Don't sink the Common Fisheries Policy – fulfil its potential
- CFP campaign: Hold the line on the CFP.
