Dear Chair,
Honourable Members,
It is a real pleasure to meet you again. Last October we had the opportunity to exchange on the Ocean Pact, which is one of the key deliverables under my portfolio for this mandate.
I will come back to the Ocean Pact a bit later, to briefly update you on where we are with its implementation but let me start with another horizontal priority of this Commission, which I know is equally important for you: simplification.
Simplification of EU policies and legislation, and their better implementation and enforcement are essential to make business easier and faster in Europe.
Creating a simpler and faster Europe is one of our key cross-cutting objectives for this mandate.
My aim is to identify and reduce unnecessary and unjustified administrative burdens, be it on operators, Member States or the Commission itself, while at the same time keeping the level of ambition set by the co-legislators for our policies. I am convinced this is the way to go to ensure a viable and sustainable future for our sectors.
A couple of weeks ago, I have shared with you my first annual Report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement.
This report summarises progress made during the first seven months of 2025. It reflects our strong commitment to contribute, through our work under the fisheries and ocean portfolio, to the Commissions overall objective to streamline rules and reduce administrative burdens for businesses and SMEs.
Let me give you a few examples of what this means in practice.
Our main priority, at the moment, is the evaluation of the CFP Regulation, which we aim to finalise in spring next year. It will notably aim at identifying the potential for simplification and burden reduction. This is a key aspect for me and my intention is to act as needed to give effect to the simplification possibilities identified.
In addition, we are assessing the regulatory costs of the new Fisheries Control Regulation. We have launched a study to examine the costs and benefits of its implementation, with particular attention to the new measures gradually entering into force following the 2023 revision.
In parallel, we are seeking further simplification in the area of fisheries control through our digital transformation, for instance with rules on user-friendly electronic tools or the IT CATCH. This will not only improve the effectiveness of control, inspection, and enforcement activities, but also greatly reduce administrative burden for both the sector and for the administration.
For instance, to enhance transparency and improve data quality, we are currently developing RecFishing, a dedicated EU-level IT system for the reporting of certain recreational fisheries catches, which will help national authorities to implement existing rules on fisheries control by reducing cost and administrative burden.
We are also focusing our efforts to develop, by 2028, a tracking and reporting system for small scale fisheries through a user-friendly IT tool.
Moreover, I do not exclude the possibility of targeted amendments to EMFAF to facilitate its further simplification.
Last but not least, the Ocean Act will provide an opportunity for streamlining and simplification as regards environmental targets linked to the ocean.
Honourable Members,
One of my key objectives is to ensure that our policies translate into effective action on the ground and have tangible positive impact for the sector. To achieve this, our implementation dialogues are vital. Regular monitoring and evaluation allow us to address challenges as they arise, adapting our strategies to ensure success.
This year, I held my Implementation Dialogues focusing on two essential aspects of our policy. The contributions stemming from the Dialogue on the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, held in July, will feed into the forthcoming revision of this Directive, which will serve as a cornerstone of the upcoming Ocean Act.
The second dialogue on small-scale coastal fisheries, held last week, provides further insights as to where and how the implementation of EU rules and programmes could be further simplified and facilitated for this specific and very important part of our sector.
Finally, as simplification and implementation, effective enforcement is key. The best law will not achieve its objectives if it is not properly enforced. As “guardian of the Treaty”, it is one of the Commissions core tasks to ensure proper application of EU law by all Member States.
Through the implementation of pre-infringement dialogues with Member States, we have proactively engaged in efforts to mitigate the risk of further decline in the stock of European eel, leading to swift and successful resolutions.
Additionally, this year we have launched a new infringement procedure aimed at curbing the failure to prevent imports of fishery products from IUU fishing activities, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable practices.
Our ongoing enforcement efforts continue to tackle existing challenges, such as non-compliance with EU provisions related to the weighing and registration of catches and to Maritime Spatial Planning.
Honourable Members,
This first Annual Progress report reflects our strong commitment to transparency, efficiency, and responsiveness.
Let me thank you for your constructive cooperation in developing our long-term vision for resilient, competitive, and sustainable European fisheries, aquaculture and other blue economy sectors.
Before I conclude, let me update you on where we are with the implementation of the European Ocean Pact.
A major deliverable under the governance pillar is the Ocean Act, planned for the end of 2026. This Act will set a legal framework for ocean governance and ensure that existing targets linked to the ocean are identifiable under “one roof”.
The Ocean Act will build on the revision of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive. It will aim at strengthening and modernising maritime spatial planning as a strategic tool that will serve the priorities of the Ocean Pact and their implementation, notably through increased cross-sectoral coordination at national level and through a better organised sea basin approach.
The Call for Evidence for the Ocean Act will be published very soon.
The revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive will also be essential to accelerate progress towards achievement of the environmental objectives, simplify implementation, and reduce administrative burden associated with reporting and data management.
The two Directives - MSFD and MSPD - are of course very much interlinked and I will work in close cooperation with my colleague Commissioner Roswall to identify a maximum of synergies, not excluding that both directives will be unified under the Ocean Act, something that will contribute to further simplification and streaming.
In addition, we will soon be launching a call for expression of interest for the establishment of the Ocean Board, and its launch in the first quarter of 2026.
And we are working on the establishment of the dashboard, which will help us monitor the implementation of the Pact.
Under the second pillar of the Ocean Pact - the sustainable competitiveness of the blue economy – our aim is to present the results of the comprehensive evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation in spring 2026. It will provide an evidence-based assessment of whether the Regulation is still fit-for-purpose, which lessons can be learned and which aspects of the policy need to to be improved. As already mentioned, it will also identify potential for simplification. And it will provide an excellent basis to develop our long-term vision for a resilient, competitive and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sector with a 2040 perspective, which we will present in autumn.
Support to our island, coastal communities and outermost regions is another key pillar of the Ocean Pact. Together with the Executive Vice-President Fitto, we will present our relevant strategies in the first half of 2026: the Strategy on outermost regions in the first quarter and the Strategy on islands and coastal communities by June 2026.
Advancing ocean research, knowledge, skills and innovation is another key pillar of the Ocean Pact. We will launch the Ocean Observation initiative in the first half of 2026, on which I will work closely with Commissioner Zaharieva.
At the end of next year, we will then present the Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy, also co-led with Commissioner Zaharieva, which will improve the current governance by overcoming the fragmentation of EU research and innovation initiatives.
Honourable Members,
I look very much forward to continuing the excellent cooperation with this Committee. And I am committed to keep this House regularly informed about the progress we make on all issues raised today.
