A French fishing boat.
Photo: Adobe Stock
The European Commission is seeking feedback on fisheries Multiannual Management Plans across the EU’s sea basins, as it aims to simplify their implementation and improve legal clarity.
The call for evidence, launched through the Commission’s Have Your Say portal, is open until 23 June, and invites contributions from EU countries, the fishing sector, scientific institutions, non-governmental organisations, regional authorities and coastal communities.
The Commission is asking stakeholders to provide views, as well as scientific, ecosystem and economic data, on how the plans are working in practice.
Multiannual Management Plans (MAPs) are the EU’s main tool for managing its most important fish stocks across different sea basins. However, the Commission said several provisions have proved difficult to apply, prompting the latest evidence-gathering exercise.
For the Western Mediterranean, the Commission is seeking feedback on the implementation and impact of the “most vulnerable stock” concept when setting fishing opportunities, as well as options for a more balanced approach to mixed fisheries.
The “most vulnerable stock” rule means that a single species in poor condition can determine fishing limits for other species caught in the same area. According to the Commission, this can restrict or stop fishing for stocks in better condition in order to avoid accidental catches of the weaker stock, making it harder to manage mixed fisheries in a balanced way.
For the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and Western Waters, the Commission is seeking views on the so-called “5% rule”. It is also asking how rebuilding trajectories could be set for fishers who depend on stocks in poor condition, with the aim of reducing year-to-year fluctuations and supporting more stable incomes.
The Commission explained that the 5% rule is designed as a safeguard against stock collapse, requiring annual fishing quotas to be set so that there is less than a 5% probability of a fish stock falling below its safe biological limit. If scientific advice indicates a higher risk, quota cuts are required to help ensure the stock can continue to reproduce.
However, the Commission said the rule can trigger abrupt annual cuts in fishing opportunities and may overlap with other measures, creating legal uncertainty.
The consultation forms part of the Commission’s wider work towards what it describes as “a simpler, clearer and better-enforced EU rulebook”. The Commission said the objective is to make implementation of the plans easier and improve legal clarity, while maintaining the key objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), including reaching and maintaining the maximum sustainable yield exploitation rate.
The review follows calls from several stakeholders to amend the plans. In December 2025, 15 EU countries issued a joint statement at the AGRIFISH Council asking the Commission to act swiftly. Meanwhile, Advisory Councils have also called for changes, while the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries has indicated readiness to work on a legislative proposal.
