The negotiated EMFF budget runs counter to EU biodiversity strategy and WTO negotiations

European policy makers reached a provisional agreement today on how to structure the 6.1 billion EUR budget of the next European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027.

“The EMFF agreement reached today runs counter to the green promises of the EU Green Deal and the Biodiversity Strategy,” said Andrea Ripol, Fisheries Policy Officer at Seas At Risk, adding “The negotiated budget represents a dramatic step backwards. At a time when the Word Trade Organization (WTO) is negotiating a global end to harmful subsidies, the EU re-introduces such subsidies that will inevitably increase pressure on fish stocks and marine ecosystems. It also misses the opportunity to earmark funds for ocean conservation. This agreement will only further undermine the health of the EU seas, which is why we call on the European Parliament to vote it down, the Council to reject it or the European Commission to withdraw its proposal.”