The European Union has welcomed the entry into force of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, marking the end of two decades of negotiations. The agreement is designed to eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies and is expected to help reduce overfishing, ensure sustainable fisheries, and improve practices for coastal communities worldwide.
According to the EU, this agreement introduces binding and enforceable rules that will have a global impact on ocean protection. “Through binding and enforceable provisions, this landmark agreement is expected to significantly reduce overfishing, ensure sustainable fisheries and promote better practices for coastal communities worldwide. This is also among the key priorities of the European Ocean Pact, which outlines the EU’s commitment to protecting the ocean.”
With its entry into force, the WTO Fish Fund has also been activated. The fund aims to support developing and least developed countries in implementing the agreement, enhancing sustainability efforts, and benefiting fishing communities globally. The EU and its Member States are reported as majority contributors to this fund.
The agreement aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.6 by prohibiting subsidies that contribute to illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing. It also bans all subsidies for fishing on unregulated high seas—areas lacking coordinated management regimes—and introduces new transparency requirements. There are additional rules intended to protect vulnerable overfished stocks.
“In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.6, which mandates the WTO to prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies, the Agreement includes a prohibition of subsidies contributing to illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, combined with unprecedented transparency provisions. Additionally, it prohibits all subsidies for fishing on the unregulated high seas, which are the most vulnerable areas of the ocean as they lack any established and coordinated regime to manage fishing. An additional provision will deliver sustainability rules for subsidies affecting the most vulnerable overfished stocks, ultimately promoting a more sustainable approach to fisheries management.”
The EU stated its ongoing commitment: “The EU remains committed to further tackling harmful fisheries subsidies globally with the negotiation of additional provisions to complement this first phase agreement.”
As part of next steps outlined by officials, WTO Members must now incorporate these multilateral rules into their national frameworks governing fisheries subsidies. Implementation will be monitored through detailed notifications reviewed by a newly established WTO Committee on Fisheries Subsidies.
“With the agreement now in force, WTO Members will have to transpose these new multilateral rules in their internal fisheries subsidies framework.
To monitor implementation, WTO Members have to provide a range of detailed notifications that will be reviewed by the new WTO Committee on Fisheries Subsidies, also created by the agreement.
While 111 WTO Members accepted the agreement’s rules kicking intoday [sic], the EU calls on the remaining WTO Members, especially big fishing nations, to accept the agreement soon, to ensure even wider benefits.”
Concluded at https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/mc12_e/mc12_e.htm in June 2022 during its 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), this is considered by officials as one of https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-and-world-trade/wto/fisheries-subsidies_en’s first multilateral trade agreements focused specifically on sustainability objectives.
The text prohibits government support for IUU fishing activities; ends state aid for operations targeting unregulated high seas; restricts funding related to vulnerable fish stocks; addresses reflagging vessels; and requires extensive reporting measures from member states.
The European Union played an active role throughout negotiations leading up https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_3287 its early acceptance in June 2023 and has since encouraged other members’ swift adoption.
Contact information was provided for Olof Gill (Spokesperson) and Ana Apse-Paese (Press Officer).
