The European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is an EU fund developed to support the roll-out of fisheries and biodiversity polices across European seas. Despite being the EU’s smallest fund, with a budget of over 6 billion EUR for the 2021-2027 period, EMFAF represents a significant public investment tool with potential to deliver on the EU’s environmental, climate, and socioeconomic commitments.

However, information on the use of EMFAF by Member States shared with the European Commission reveals a persistent mismatch between measures that need financial support to achieve the EU’s environmental and social objectives, and the way EU public funds are actually used.

This policy brief by Seas At Risk, BirdLife Europe and Central Asia and ClientEarth explores the mismatch between EMFAF’s operational programmes and its environmental and social goals, and presents a series of recommendations on how it can reach its full potential to support people and the planet.

Posted on: 14 October 2025