The Spanish Director General for Fisheries Management and Aquaculture at the opening of the EMFAF Monitoring Committee.
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
The Director General for Fisheries Management and Aquaculture in Spain, Aurora de Blas, has called for ensuring the full implementation of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) during the third session of the EMFAF Programme Monitoring Committee.
More specifically, the director emphasized the need to intensify efforts by simplifying administrative procedures, adapting management to the realities of the sector, and encouraging active participation from all stakeholders involved.
In doing so, the aim is to transform the maritime and fisheries sector into a more sustainable, competitive, and inclusive model. This will also help address generational renewal, strengthen the resilience of the productive sector, support the green transition, and promote the socioeconomic balance of coastal areas.
Finally, Aurora de Blas, who also chairs the EMFAF Managing Authority, highlighted the importance of the Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) as a key tool to accompany and support the future of the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The EMFAF is the main European funding instrument for the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Spain is the leading recipient, with €1.12 billion allocated for the 2021–2027 period. Together with the national contribution, this support amounts to a total of €1.574 billion.
The public body has explained that in 2025, the automatic decommitment rule will be applied for the first time. This means that the amount corresponding to the financial target Spain must meet for the year 2022 will be automatically lost if it is not included in a payment request that must be submitted to the European Commission this year.
For this reason, Aurora de Blas has stressed the need to certify a total of €178 million by the end of this year, a task that falls to the intermediate management bodies ultimately responsible for the execution of the funds.
The EMFAF Monitoring Committee, composed of public authorities, sector organizations, scientific entities, NGOs, and other partners, assesses progress, proposes improvements, and makes key decisions to ensure the proper implementation of the EMFAF.
