Opening Speech by Commissioner Kadis at the High-Level Conference “Navigating Change: Towards the Energy Transition in EU Fisheries and Aquaculture”

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this high-level conference dedicated to the EU energy transition for fisheries and aquaculture. Witnessing the enthusiasm and interest surrounding this topic, and in the spirit of cooperation fostered by the Energy Transition Partnership, your presence here today is vital. By working together across disciplines, policy areas, and sectors, we can transform this transition into opportunities for a sustainable and resilient future for EU fisheries and aquaculture. Todays event is the latest milestone on the journey that began back in 2023 when the Commission adopted its Communication on the Energy Transition and launched the Energy Transition Partnership. It is your opportunity to feed into the Energy Transition Roadmap which is due for adoption later this year as part of the Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture, alongside a Communication on External action for fisheries and aquaculture.

The European Union is committed to ensuring that the fisheries and aquaculture sector is environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral by 2050. This is the only viable solution to enable the sector to remain resilient in the face of environmental and climate crises.

The goal is clear: to move away from fossil fuel dependency towards energy solutions that preserve our ecosystems, protect the sector from future energy shocks, and stimulate the blue economy.

Clear, perhaps, but far from simple. We face many challenges on the way towards achieving this goal: the technology we need to decarbonise and renew the fisheries sector is still far from perfect and investment remains too low; access to alternative energy sources is limited; the pace of renovation of port facilities continues to lag;  attracting and retaining new generations of fishers remains hard; and developing sustainable business models continues to be a significant challenge.

Add to this the unique challenges of each fleet, and it is clear that we cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Any future EU strategy must account for the specific characteristics and financial capacities of each sector within coastal communities and each sea basin. And yet I believe that we are more than capable as a sector of coming together, as we are here today, to find the collective and adaptable solutions that will allow us to meet our ambitious target.

Making fisheries and aquaculture a truly future-proof and attractive career needs more: we have to make sure that the business model remains both viable and flexible, able to respond to the requirements of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and ensure that the future of fisheries is sustainable ecologically, economically and socially.

This in turn makes fisheries attractive for investors who are key to driving further innovation. While public funds are vital especially for research and testing, private investments are essential to ensure profitable fleets supported by thriving stocks.

Decarbonising our fishing fleet is in many ways the starting point for creating this viable and competitive business model.

We note that Member States do have opportunities to advance work on these fronts. EMFAF national programmes offer such funding opportunities.

A number of energy-efficient solutions and technologies in fisheries already exist and EMFAF can support them.

Let me also recall the possibilities for modernisation of engines, improvement of safety, working conditions and energy efficiency and first acquisition of fishing vessels available under the EMFAF. Such support is available in line with our CFP policy to ensure a balance between the fishing capacities and fishing opportunities.  

I really call on Member States to advance on all those opportunities, irrespectively of future results of the Energy Transition Partnership.

Dear friends,

Over the last three years, the Energy Transition Partnership has brought together stakeholders from across the sector to gather sustainable energy solutions and insights to drive real change.

The work of the partnership will provide important input for the Energy Transition Roadmap, which will set out clear and effective ways for fleet owners to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels through innovative business ideas, infrastructure upgrades and the adoption of sustainable practices and technologies.

The results of your work to date will be taken into account in the evaluation of the CFP regulation, which will be published in less than three months from now. I am convinced it will show clearly if the policy we have in place today gives us the tools to address the challenges of today and tomorrow or whether it needs adjustments. And we will not hesitate to undertake them if needed, including for the decarbonization and modernization of our fishing fleet.

The Energy Transition Roadmap is and will be also a key part of the Vision 2040 for EU fisheries and aquaculture, which will build on the European Ocean Pact and place the focus clearly on stakeholder engagement to deliver real sustainability and competitiveness.

Many of the elements we are likely to see feed into the Vision 2040 for fisheries and aquaculture are already in place, in no small part due to the European Ocean Pact which the Commission adopted last year. This comprehensive strategy brings all the EUs ocean and maritime-related issues together under one banner, ensuring a more coherent and effective approach. It is still early days of course, but we are looking to accelerate the various initiatives contained within the pact.

The upcoming Ocean Act will bring together a number of separate initiatives into one framework. The European Ocean Observation Initiative, due be presented in April, alongside the the European Digital Twin Ocean, aim to ensure not only that data concerning our ocean is collected and analysed more effectively but also that this data helps develop actionable solutions to the challenges facing the ocean. The EU is not alone in this endeavour – and quite rightly so, when we live on a planet where more than 70% of the surface is covered in water. We are building an international alliance in partnership with UNESCO that brings together the EU with its own Member States, global partners and others to strengthen their collective commitments to the Global Ocean Observation System.

This focus on the ocean does not mean we are ignoring the land, however. New Strategies on Coastal Communities and Islands will address the long-term challenges faced by the people who live off and by the ocean, and we will be working with colleagues from across the Commission on a Sustainable Tourism strategy, a new EU Ports Strategy and an Industrial Maritime Strategy, among others.

As you can see, there is a lot to be done. But I am confident that we are already on the right path to achieving our goal of a sustainable, viable and competitive fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Let me repeat: the energy transition is the building block on which this future vision is being built. Without a successful transition away from fossil fuels, many of our other efforts will be in vain. Now is the time to accelerate this transition and how to achieve that is what todays discussion is all about.

Thats why I want to thank you for your immense work over these past months and the work that is surely to come. This is not a one-day or one-month process, but its positive effects will last for years. You are the protagonists of a process leading to a sustainable and decarbonized future, and that means we have a great debt of gratitude to you. This is true not only because of your work, but especially because of your expertise, so I look forward to hearing what you have to say.