EC – FEAP

FEAP warns the European Commission that its fish welfare report misses science and critical practical realities

FEAP — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:30:15 +0000

EU aquaculture left behind: FEAP condemns structural bias in Commission’s CFP evaluation

FEAP — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:31:41 +0000

The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) issues a stark warning over the European Commission’s evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Regulation 1380/2013, published on 30 April 2026. While welcoming the Commission’s effort to assess the past decade, FEAP concludes that the evaluation is structurally biased against aquaculture, fails to draw necessary conclusions from clear evidence of stagnation, and offers no credible foundation for the upcoming 2040 Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

View the FEAP Position Paper

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The Ocean Board must deliver solutions, not more regulatory burden: EU aquaculture needs a real turning point

FEAP — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:09:32 +0000

Brussels, 8-April 2026.- Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the European Ocean Board in Brussels on March 31^st, the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) called for a fundamental shift in how the EU supports aquaculture. While welcoming the Board as a new high-level platform, FEAP stressed that European fish farming has made little quantitative progress since 2000, and that the Ocean Pact will only succeed if it tackles the root causes of stagnation.

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European aquaculture sector calls for regulatory precision in EU plastics directive

FEAP — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:56:13 +0000

Brussels. The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) has issued a formal statement responding to the European Commission’s call for evidence on the Directive on the reduction of the environmental impact of certain plastic products (SUPD). While fully supporting the Directive’s environmental ambitions, FEAP warns that unclear terminology, inconsistent implementation, and a failure to distinguish aquaculture from capture fisheries risk undermining its effectiveness and placing disproportionate burdens on fish farmers.

FEAP welcomes Vision 2040 but warns that bold action, not only simplification, is needed to save EU aquaculture

FEAP — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:33:28 +0000

The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) has provided its official response to the European Commission’s Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture, endorsing the initiative as a timely and essential opportunity to reverse decades of stagnation in EU finfish farming, while warning that the Vision will fail unless it confronts the root causes of the sector’s decline. FEAP sets out five core elements the Vision must include: a clear definition of a desired future state, a binding EU aquaculture production target for finfish by 2040, a genuine analysis of fundamental challenges, principles for cross-administrative coordination, and a high-level policy implementation pathway with performance indicators.

FEAP study on organic aquaculture

FEAP — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:14:38 +0000

FEAP’s newly published study, prepared jointly with Fondazione COISPA ETS and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, confirms that while European consumers trust the organic label, awareness and understanding of organic aquaculture remain limited.

Despite strong policy support, organic finfish farming in the EU remains a niche segment – stagnating in recent years and even declining in some countries. The study highlights feed availability and cost, the shortage of certified juveniles, weak market demand and regulatory inconsistencies as key barriers.

Targeted policy updates – broader permitted feed materials, harmonised certification and hatchery rules, and stronger consumer awareness – are essential to make organic finfish farming viable and competitive in Europe.”

European aquaculture organisations meet Commissioner Kadis

FEAP — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:39:12 +0000

The European Molluscs Producers’ Association (EMPA), the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), and the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATIP) met yesterday with European Commissioner Costas Kadis -responsible for Fisheries and Oceans, including aquaculture, to jointly address the urgent challenges facing European aquaculture and to contribute to the EU’s Vision for Aquaculture towards 2040, including support for the sector within the upcoming Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy. Together, these organisations represent the entirety of the EU aquaculture sector.

Held in a small-committee format with the Presidents and Secretaries General of each organisation, the meeting focused on reversing the long-term decline of EU aquaculture, strengthening policy coherence, and defining clear priorities for competitiveness, spatial planning, research, and innovation.

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FEAP and EUSeA met EU Commissioner Costas Kadis to call for a Blue Food Action Plan

FEAP — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:11:53 +0000

On 1 December, the EU Seafood Alliance partners – FEAP, Europêche, EAPO and Seafood Europe – met with Costas Kadis, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans , to call for an ambitious EU Blue Food Action Plan that would boost the production and consumption of aquatic foods across Europe.

With the Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture now included in the Commission’s 2026 Work Programme, stakeholders are urging that blue foods be fully integrated into this Vision. The proposal has already received strong backing from the European Economic and Social Committee, Members of the European Parliament, and several Advisory Councils.

For FEAP, this initiative is particularly important: a future Blue Food Action Plan would help strengthen Europe’s food security, highlight the nutritional and environmental value of farmed fish, and promote aquaculture as a strategic food-producing sector in the EU’s future policies.

Read the full press release.

EBCD and the EU Seafood Alliance engage with Commissioner Fitto’s Cabinet on the need for an EU Blue Foods Action Plan

FEAP — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:30:29 +0000

On 20 October, representatives from the European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD) and the EU Seafood Alliance – composed of EAPO, Europêche, FEAP, and Seafood Europe (former AIPCE.CEP) – met with the cabinet of the Commissioner for Cohesions and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto, to discuss the urgent need to strengthen EU’s approach to blue foods.

The delegation included Despina Symons (EBCD), Esben Sverdrup-Jensen (EAPO), Anne-France Mattlet (Europêche), Szilvia Mihálffy (FEAP), and Katarina Sipic (Seafood Europe – AIPCE.CEP).

The organisations reiterated their shared call for the development of an EU Action Plan for Blue Foods, building on the momentum generated by the recent Ocean Pact. The group emphasised that fisheries and aquaculture — key providers of healthy, low-carbon, and nutritious food — should be recognised as strategic sectors within the EU’s food systems framework.

“The Commission linked agriculture and food in its Vision for Food and Agriculture 2040; the same ambition must now be applied to fisheries and aquaculture through a Blue Food Action Plan embedded in the Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture 2040,” the group underlined.

During the meeting, the representatives stressed the importance of:

Promoting competitiveness through simplification of administrative procedures and a genuine level playing field;
Attracting young people to the fishing and aquaculture sectors through targeted investment allowing for modernisation and innovation;
Strengthening policy cohesion and coherence across legislation impacting food systems and blue economy; and
Positioning blue food products as strategic to Europe’s food security, climate and biodiversity goals, and rural and coastal development.

EBCD and the EU Seafood Alliance agreed that many challenges could be unlocked through a comprehensive EU Action Plan on Blue Foods, which would support innovation, research, investment, and the decarbonisation of the seafood value chain.

Such an initiative, they argued, would ensure that the EU becomes a global leader in sustainable food systems and aligns with its commitments under the Ocean Pact and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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FEAP participates in FAO workshop promoting the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture in Europe

FEAP — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 09:10:00 +0000

FEAP took part in the FAO Regional Workshop on the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA), held in Valencia in September 2025. The event brought together policymakers, producers, and experts to discuss how to translate the FAO Guidelines into concrete actions supporting sustainable aquaculture development in the European region.

FEAP was represented by Javier Ojeda, General Secretary, and Szilvia Mihalffy, Project Manager, who contributed to the discussions on governance, resilience and stakeholder engagement in support of responsible aquaculture growth.